The Doll
by xxbatteredrosexx
Summary: After witnessing the deaths of her parents and being left for dead, Eviena leads a life of silence, concealing her mixed blood and emotions until her looks capture the unwanted attention of a certain future dark lord while at Hogwarts.
1. The Creation of a Doll

The rain beat down gently on the two windows across from her bed. The sound oddly comforting yet Eviena couldn't sleep. She hated the dark, and the things that might lurk within it. Of course her parents found her fear absurd, but she couldn't help but be leery of the things that might be present in the dark. Her family always considered her the fragile one, scared of her own shadow and everything else that the world had to offer, and in large part this was true. But descending from a long line of witches and wizards mattered little to her. She was her mother's little china doll as her father so aptly put it breakable yet so pretty that it was excused by her family because it meant she would secure a very well off pure blood husband.

These were the thoughts that ran through Eviena's head at night while she tried to sleep, tried not to be afraid. But as of late even her parents began to grow leery of the dark and this did little for her sensitive being.

Two loud bangs coming from downstairs pulled her from her thoughts, causing her to pull her blanket as tightly around her as she could manage. Her breathing quickened and her heart began to race.

"Eviena. Eviena, get up." Her mother whispered urgently while pulling her small child from her cocoon.

"What's happening?" Eviena shouted as the sound of men screaming at one another and hexes crashing into cabinets reached her ears.

"Don't worry about it okay." Her mother bent down and smoothed her black waves down, wiping a few tears away.

"You are going to your aunts for a bit, we need you to be brave, okay?" her mother kissed her forehead and attempted to push her into the large empty cabinet that sat across from her bed.

"No!" Eviena shrieked, fighting against her mother. "There are monsters and spiders. Mummy please don't make me."

"I'm sorry my love. Silencio." She whispered quieting the child but only making her more hysterical.

Eviena couldn't fight her mother anymore and was soon pushed onto her bottom and into the cabinet. She felt the magical pressure surrounding her, attempting to pull her away, but she refused it.

She heard her door shattering and her mom scream, but something heavy was placed against door and she couldn't move it.

"Thought you would escape me, did you?" The deep voice of a man said in triumph, followed by a shallow scream from her mother and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

"Please!" Her mother begged. "We don't know where it is, we swear."

"Lying whore." A man spat. He stomped hard on something, bones breaking beneath his foot.

"Oren!" My mother shrieked. Eviena gently pushed on the door to the cabinet to find the weight had been removed.

Three men stood cloaked, standing over her unconscious father and sobbing mother. The moonlight hit her so perfectly Eviena would have sworn that it was a dream and that her mother was sparkling in the light but she was and her fascination was only overshadowed by her horror over the pool of blood spreading from her father's body.

"If you tell us where it is we will be merciful and issue you a quick death." The larger man bellowed, amusement in his voice.

"Tell me, when you told your husband you had fairy blood running through your veins, did you tell him of the object you kept?" The man in the middle came forward, his voice was aged and his magic made it hard for Eviena to breathe.

"You know where they reside, you know what magic they keep. And I want it!"

Eviena felt the hair on her neck stick up. She didn't understand anything that was happening.

Her mother's back straightened. "I turned my back on them and have no memory of what you speak." She said in a slightly trembling voice.

"Fine." He hissed, a mad red glare in his eye. "Then you and your family serve no use to me. Aveda Kedavra!" He roared in anger, the green light striking her mother.

Before Eviena could think she threw herself from the cabinet and over her mother's lifeless body. With the silencing spell still on her, her screams went unheard.

"Well, well look what we have here. A little Halfling." His voice sent shivers down her spine as he grabbed her face roughly and forced it towards him. "So pretty you are. Maybe I will take you as a souvenir."

She began to kick as hard as she could her silent screams doing only serving to fuel his amusement.

"I have no desire to defile little girls." He said, forcing her roughly to the ground. "But I have no problem leaving them to die."

Eviena watched that nasty red glare appear in his eyes again and braced herself for the killing curse.

He gave a flick of his wrist and her entire body went numb. She slumped to the floor, her body making a tiny splash within the pool of blood.

"Who said I am not a merciful dark lord." He gave a nasty smile and swept from the room the two other men following suit.

Eviena lay face to face with her no longer shimmering mother, her father's blood nearly choking her. She couldn't panic or scream. She couldn't run and cower, only lay there and hope to drown or suffocate.

She closed her eyes tightly but didn't sleep. Two moons had past and she still hadn't slept. The smell of her parents made her gag and the pool of blood hardened around her, crawling into every pore of her being.

She had resolved that she would die in her fluffy pink room, filled with unicorns and ponies. Their haunting smiles burned into her memory. She wished death would come swiftly that the darkness that she had feared for so long would consume her, devour the last bits of life that clung to against her will.

On the third day someone came for her. The lone survivor of a massacre they printed in all the newspapers the following morning after her rescue. They printed pictures of a lethargic little girl and said how brave she was. Eviena wondered if any of them saw how truly broken and dead she felt on the inside. But then she remembered that, that didn't matter as long as she stayed pretty. And for the years that followed that's what she stayed. Pretty and silent, never to tell anyone of the events that led her to so lifeless on the inside. Until _him_.


	2. Banished

Eviena sat on the staircase listening to her aunt and her uncle argue. She had grown accustom to their marital woes but this was different, this fight had even the house elves running.

"I see the way you look at her Aemon, the way your eyes watch her." Her aunt shouted hysterically, something shattering against the wall.

"She's a child!"

"Not anymore." Aemon said sternly. "You will calm yourself. She is 16 now and a young woman."

Eviena wanted to walk away, but she needed to hear what was to become of her. She didn't know where she would go if her aunt kicked her out. It had been 7 years and she still had not spoken a word but she was not stupid. She knew her looks were the cause of all her woes but she had cut her hair twice and mastered every body morphing charm there was, but the fairy blood in her didn't allow the charms to hold. This was another thing she had never told anyone but being mute it was never a question that could come up in conversation.

"Don't you dare think of her that way, she your niece." Her aunt shrieked.

"No she is yours and I will not have this conversation any longer. Because let us be frank it is no secret that I detest this marriage and have been with many women since our union." He walked into the main hall but didn't notice Eviena, for this she was thankful.

"Don't you dare walk away from me! Tell me! Tell me that I cannot trust my own eyes. Tell me I am wrong. Because I love you, but she is my niece."

Her aunt sobbed into her uncle's chest as he looked away un-amused. She was a small frail looking woman with brown hair and small dark eyes. She looked like her father but the years and a loveless marriage had taken there toil on her. Her uncle on the other hand was tall and had short dark grey hair, he was muscular and Eviena always feared what would happen if she came across him when he was drunk or not thinking rationally.

"If you want to avoid an_ incident_, then she needs to leave this house. I will not feel…repressed within my own home." He turned from her hysterical aunt to see Eviena sitting on the steps.

He walked up the stairs quietly stopping and eyeing her. His desires hardly masked by his haughty posture.

"Never did I think you would grow to be such a problem." He looked down at her but she turned away. "I curse the lucky bastard who wins your favor, or is bold enough to take it." He whispered the last part but she didn't turn back to him only waited for his footsteps disappear.

Eviena helped her aunt from the floor and into the black tiled bathroom.

She wet a rag and gave it to her sniffling aunt. A woman she did love but didn't quite understand.

"Thank you, my sweet. You have always been so good to your frazzled aunt." Eviena looked at her aunt and smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She wanted to know why anyone would stay with someone who could cause them such pain but she knew her aunt did not have the answer to such a question. So there was no sense in asking it.

For years Eviena had stayed silent due to her parents' murders fearing the first thing from her mouth would be the screams she had been deprived of that night. The night which had plagued her dreams for so many nights.

As she grew older she found comfort in her silence. No one asked her unnecessary questions or attempted to have conversations with her. Everyone eventually grew frustrated with her unresponsiveness, for this she was thankful. Increasingly she began to wonder if she had lost the ability to speak but she couldn't find a good enough reason to test that hypothesis.

Her aunt stood up and turned her towards the large gold rimmed mirror.

"Don't look away. I could never fault you for being your mother's child." Her aunt lifted her chin and picked some lint off of her dark red sweater shoulders.

Her hair was darker than a ravens feathers and curled slightly as it touched just bellow swelled chest. Her skin was porcelain white and luminescent when the light hit it just right and her lips were a deep shade a red and pouty. Her eyes were emerald green and sparkled slightly and her figure was as her aunt put it worth killing over.

In short, her mother's genetics made it very hard to live a quiet life where she went unbothered and unnoticed. One of the reasons she rarely left the house and had cut her hair crudely a number of times.

"I love you, you know that don't you?" Eviena turned to her aunt and nodded with a smile. Her aunt had always been good to her but she saw the sorrow filling her brown eyes and knew something bad was to come.

"This year you will be attending Hogwarts." She said quickly.

Eviena took a shocked step back a gasp falling from her lips. She felt the tears welling in her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. She never knew her aunt could be so cruel as to subject her to the real world, where human contact was not only encouraged but guaranteed. She had tried school shortly after her parents had been murdered but she had no desire to be around others or talk and this made her the subject of ridicule and despair.

"V, I know that school hasn't been the easiest for you but you'll like Hogwarts, its not like muggle school. You are already a gifted witch and your pretty." Her aunt tried to move a strand of hair from her face but she stepped out of the way.

Eviena shook her head again and ran from the bathroom nearly tripping over a house elf that was water a baby flitterbloom.

Eviena locked herself in her room taking a seat behind her cello and staring out into the grey sky. She hadn't feared the dark in some time, in fact she hadn't feared anything, even now she couldn't. She was angry and knew it was because of her uncle that she was being banished from the only home she had.

For the month leading up to her expulsion she attempted to stay out of sight from everyone. her fingers going red and bleeding from the amount of time she spent on her lone friend. Eviena didn't know what to expect from the students of Hogwarts but every bone in her body told her that it wouldn't be a very pleasant experience.


	3. The first encouter is always the Hardest

Thank you all for the reviews. I'm sorry the story is starting out slow. I promise to improve once I get the hang of this. Thanks again.

Her Aunt saw her off to the train, allowing her uncle to drag her away when she rejected a kiss on the cheek from him. She decided the only good thing that would come from her stay at Hogwarts was time away from them.

Eviena was one of the first on the train and found a compartment in the back away from the few already present. She sat looking out the window until the door slid open a tall blank faced boy staring at her.

"May I ask what you are doing in _my_ compartment?" He hissed. His words too polite for the tone of his voice.

Eviena took a deep breath and turned towards him with great effort. He towered over her small frame and was exceedingly attractive. He had dark wavy hair and grey eyes. His skin was pale and he wore robes that were slightly faded.

She watched him for a moment as he took in her presence, his eyes raking over every exposed part of her.

She wanted to run from him but as she heard the excited yells and numerous voices outside the cabin she decided that one was better than a few hundred. He slid the door shut and took a seat across from her.

"My name is Tom, Tom Riddle." He said with a polite smile. His pleasant voice sounding a bit forced.

She smiled politely back at him but didn't say anything. A nagging voice in the back of her head telling her to run. For some reason she thought he had heard this thought due to the menacing smirk that appeared on his face for a brief moment.

"Will you not give me your name?" He asked his annoyance growing.

Eviena gave him another polite smile and decided to leave but as she stood she heard a click and saw his wand out of the corner of her eye.

"Sit." He demanded quietly.

She pulled out her own wand and shouted_ alohomora_ in her head but the spell had no effect to her dismay.

"I said, sit." He said in a raised tone.

Eviena watched him cautiously, sitting back in her seat.

"Now, why would you want to leave our lovely conversation?" He leaned back, watching every subtle movement she made.

"I am a prefect at Hogwarts and the most powerful student there, you would do wise not to get on my bad side." He threatened.

She wondered how anyone could sound so pretentious yet look so nice and smile so pleasantly the way he was.

"Now. What is your name?"

Eviena gave a quick twist of her wand, a tag from her luggage floating gently in front his nose.

"Eviena, what a pretty name, for such a pretty creature." He drawled.

She looked at the door and wondered if she should give it another try.

"Don't worry, no one will disturb us. Are you a pureblood Eviena Aviste?"

Eviena nodded and so he continued.

"Do you ever speak?"

She shook her head, a shiver shooting through her spine at his laugh.

"That is fine. I think it very befitting for pretty young witches to keep quiet."

She pursed her lips and thought of hexing him. She didn't like how he was acting towards her, arrogant and intimidating. And she didn't like that he wasn't deterred by her silence. In fact he seemed more interested.

He picked a piece of lint from his tie, crushing it beneath his fingers."Do you know why I am talking to you?"

Eviena shook her head once more.

"It is because I like rare unobtainable things. Things so unique that they are sure to cause a stir of jealousy in even the purest hearts if another possessed them." He smiled at her, the beauty of it not going unnoticed by her.

"Things like you Eviena. You shun contact with others, you contain your emotions well, and you will be by far one of the most captivating witches to grace the halls of Hogwarts. In short I would like to claim you before the other boys get a look at you."

Before she had a chance to stand Riddle had her trapped. His arms on either side of her head and his body leaning against his.

"You will learn quickly that I get what I want. And I want you." He leaned into her ear. "Remember that I am inescapable and ----"

Eviena kicked him hard between his legs causing him to double over in pain on the floor. She wouldn't stand to be threatened and being trapped like that had sent her into a near panic.

_Expulso_. She screamed in her mind causing the lock to explode. Eviena ran from the compartment before Riddle had time to retaliate. Locking herself in the bathroom to avoid everyone and collect her thoughts.

She had never encountered someone so aggressive and menacing and she didn't like it one bit. She decided she would have to stay very far away from him if she wanted to keep her thoughts and sanity intact. But she knew that she had done something very bad in that cabin and that he would probably hurt her for hurting him. This was not okay, but for the time being she was free of him. But not for as long as she would have hope.


	4. Emerald eyes

Riddle walked the length of train twice and still had yet to see her. Of course patrolling the Hogwarts Express was part of his duties as Prefect anyways, this time he wasn't just looking for a timid first year or rule breaker to take his aggression out on. He was looking for her.

She was beautiful and obviously bright to stay quiet and avoid the rift raft that he was forced to acknowledge as his classmates but she had attacked him and for this there would be retribution. Tom didn't like the way she refused him, not even batting an eye at his charm or looks. He didn't like that she seemed to see right through his 'nice' act. But now that she saw a glimpse of his true nature he decided that he would be less apt to hide it from her when they were _alone_. After what she had done she didn't deserve.

He pushed a small red headed boy from his path and proceeded back to his compartment to wait. After all her trunk and personal belongings were still there and she would have to come for them eventually.

Tom Riddle was too annoyed to play the pleasant student and indulge the girls around him who seemed to have lost all of their self respect in their presence. That was one of the reasons he never paid them any more attention than what was needed to preserve his reputation.

"Riddle!" A voice from the back of him called causing him to stop and control himself from hexing the boy. He didn't like his name when he used it let alone someone else.

He turned on his heels to see Alphard Black walking over to him a bit flustered. He was tall but not as tall as Tom and had longer black hair and a darker complexion. Hogwarts very own Casanova and a part of the group of Slytherins he thought of as sad excuses for purebloods but would soon become very valuable to him.

"Black." Tom answered curtly watching the pathetic boy pant slightly.

"Have you seen a girl around here?" Alphard asked hopefully.

"There are many girls on this express Alphard. Good luck finding the latest one to capture your attention." Tom turned and headed back in the direction of his compartment but to his dismay heard footsteps follow.

"_What _Black?" Tom hissed. Unfortunately Black was one of the few in the school that did not stand to be easily intimidated.

"If you saw her you would forget her, black hair, kind of looks like snow white. And she doesn't speak."

Tom felt a twinge of annoyance at another laying eyes on what he deemed his. "Why is she so special to you?" he asked with a raised brow.

"I knew her when I was younger and I just wanted to say hi." Alphard looked away and then back up at him.

"How are you acquainted with her?"

"We had a marriage contract before her parents were killed by Grindelwald." Alphard's face saddened and Tom wondered if he knew how pathetic he looked at that moment.

"Is that why she doesn't speak. She was hexed?" Tom couldn't help but be interested in the girl despite himself. And would resort to even the most degrading methods to gain information. Even conversing with Black.

"No. She just doesn't talk. So have you seen her?" Alphard asked in frustration.

"No I haven't." Tom answered curtly. Not wanting Black to talk to what was his.

Alphard's eyes narrowed and his lips formed a hard line. "If you do—"

"I am not a messenger boy. Goodbye Black." Tom said through his teeth, only gaining satisfaction when the boy walked away with a stupid look on his face.

He stood there for a few minutes, wondering how someone of such noble blood could be so unworthy of the earth. Pure blood or no he had no good opinion of Alphard or most of his group. He never wanted to be friends with any of them, he didn't need friends. But he did need allies for his fight against the mudblood scum that had no right to wield a wand. And he knew his support would come from the very boys he thought ridiculous. Indulging in teenage antics and acting as though they were above him. If only they knew that the heir to their house was in their presence. That their blood did not even touch his even with its polluted roots.

The door beside him to the girl lavatory slid open revealing what he had been searching the train for.

Her eyes went wide in shock and her hands balled into fists. Her skin had a glow about it as the setting sun hit it and her lips appeared redder from the blood that rushed through them when she released them from her teeth. He saw her hand move quickly towards her wand but before she could reach it he seized both of her wrists and forced her back in the small compartment.

He heard the door shut with a quick and locked it with wandless magic.

"Did I not tell you I was inescapable." He whispered into her ear as she struggled against him.

She was much smaller than him, her thrashing doing nothing more than amusing him. He penned her hands against the wall and laughed coldly.

"If you don't stop this nonsense I will gladly reunite you with your parents." His smirk quickly vanished as her leg attempted once again to wound him in his nether regions.

Tom lifted her slightly and forced her hard back against the wall her head creating a satisfying thud.

"If you ever do that again, you will regret it." Hissed into her ear.

He saw the anger and anguish he had stirred within her from the mention of her parents and wondered with a mental smile if she would stay quiet if he decided to engage in more personal acts.

"Now Eviena, I have decided that you have been a very naughty girl and you haven't even started school. As someone entrusted by the school to ensure that the students know the ways of Hogwarts here is a lesson for you." He maneuvered her second attempt to wound him and continued his cool quickly falling to the floor.

"I _am _Hogwarts and if something terrible where to happened to your lovely face no one would even think twice about me." Tom saw her eyes focus on the door as she continued to fight him with little success.

"If you stopped fighting and gave me what I want, your life would be much easier." He purred into her ear. Drinking in her rose petal sent and the softness of her skin.

He looked into her emerald eyes and the rest of her form. She was a walking advertising for the Slytherin. Her eyes narrowed and he saw the challenge in her eyes and also the curousity. He may have not been able to enter her mind, something that deeply troubled him, but everything was there in her eyes if one looked close enough.

"I want your obedience, for now. We can sort out the rest in time. What I ask is nothing more than what I ask from everyone else. You are already silent in my presence, which is a start."

She looked at him, her eyes widened and her fighting ceased. She leaned in closer, her body touching his. Her breathing slowed and her hands unclenched. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs, he had never thought she would have submitted so quickly or that he would actually ever want to engage in physical contact with someone for the sheer enjoyment of it. His eyes fluttered shut as her lips curved against his.

An inexplicable warmth spread through his body, his grip on her wrists loosened and he could feel her chest now pressed firmly against his. His thoughts became a bit slower as her kiss deepened, her tongue gently tracing the outside of his lips. He had no desire to allow her to take her time and he quickly reciprocated, his tongue now fighting to dominate hers. His hands dropped to her waist pulling her closer.

"You are a smart one." He said, quickly regaining his breath at the realization that she had his wand pointed firmly at his chest. She pushed against the wall and slid past him and towards the door her eyes focused and unaffected.

"I will make you pay for this." He said through his teeth.

She gave a small smile, her kiss reddened lips catching his attention for the fraction of a second before his anger had him seeing red and only red.

She slid the door open and backed out, he heard a group of girls walking towards them and before he could strike against her she threw his wand at the wall and ran in the direction of their compartment.

Tom could feel his blood boil beneath his skin. By the time he had returned to their cabin after being stopped by two babbling ravenclaw girls and a boy who had burned off his eyesbrows and was in hysterics he managed to get back to his cabin. But she and all of her belongings were gone.

For the rest of the ride he thought of all the spells he could use against her. Restraining himself when he saw her get into a carriage while he was forced to direct new arrivals and be the nice boy everyone knew him to be. He _would_ make her pay and make sure to be more mindful of her own affect on him.

After all, he wasn't lying when he told her he was inescapable and now he would be her worst nightmare.


	5. The First Day

Eviena couldn't bring herself to fear Tom Riddle's retribution when the looming thought of her being thrust into the real world lay so heavily on her mind. She was more than a capable witch to defend herself and at the moment she just needed to get as far away from him and his cruel smirk as possible.

Eviena wondered what he would do to her but a part of her enjoyed thinking about it, in some sick way she wanted to thank him for being the first person in a very long time to treat her like she wasn't made of glass. This of course did not excuse the fact that she thought he was mental and would do her best to keep from him.

Even with what had just transpired there was another male who was troubling her more at the moment, Alphard Black. She had not seen him in years and hoped to keep it that way. After her parents had been killed by the very man his parents supported, their marriage contract had been terminated by her uncle with her aunt's urging. The one thing she could genuinely thank her uncle for.

When her parents first died she was numb to it and everything around her. But once it finally hit her what had occurred that nightmarish night and that she was truly alone in the world, all she wanted was a friend, all she wanted was him and he abandoned her. Shortly after this she wrote off needing friends.

With cello and trunk in hand, a charm on each of them to make them more manageable for her Riddle getaway, she wondered down the express smiling and ignoring all of the stares and whispers that swirled around her. She stopped for a moment to readjust her grip on her trunk when the compartment door next to her slid open.

With her exits blocked by robed bodies she watched with dread as the boys whom she had known since childhood.

First was Avery a weasel looking boy with a long nose and small eyes, then came Crabbe and Goyle two boys whom looked like flesh colored helium balloons and enjoyed using their fist instead of words. Eviena wondered if they even knew how to use their words.

Next was Malfoy a pale boy with long white hair and a permanent smirk, she admitted that he was attractive but his haughty personality kept her from truly acknowledging it. The last one to file out made her stomach lurch slightly. Alphard Black tall, dark skin and hair, and a look that would have broken a softer heart.

"You're delusional if you think she would for--. Speak of the devil." Malfoy said with an even tighter smirk as his eyes dancing with delight over Eviena's body. She was really beginning to dislike the boys of Slytherin.

"Eviena." Black said in surprise. "I'm, I've been looking for you."

Her eyes narrowed and she attempted to push her way past Crabbe and Goyle to get away from him. His time to talk had long passed and she wanted nothing more than to leave.

But they wouldn't move.

"Let her pass." Black said sternly.

"No, I think they should stand right where they are. I grow tired of hearing you whine over her. Now is your time to speak." Malfoy turned with a twirl and with Avery walked back into the compartment.

"Leave Crabbe and Goyle." Alphard motioned for them to leave and like good little puppies, they obeyed.

Eviena waited for them to leave and then promptly turned on her heels.

"Please wait." He said as he jogged to keep up with her. "Blimey you're still fast as ever."

She stopped abruptly and looked at him. She wanted to feel anger or sadness, something to fight away the feeling-less void that always took hold when something or someone painful from her past emerged.

"I know I screwed up." He said between breathes. "I can't ask for you to forgive my family."

She had just realized that the sky had darkened and the train was slowing. She liked the night, it was the only thing that could tell an entire country to be quiet.

Eviena stared at him wondering whether he knew his words meant little to her anymore. But once the train finally stopped and the corridors filled with exited chatter, this thought abandoned her.

She heard a voice yelling for first years to file outside and knew from her letter that she must follow them in order to start her year of hell. Or schooling, the word for it didn't matter.

"Please, I know you don't speak but damnit at least listen to me." he ran a rough hand through his hair as the volume made it harder to hear him.

A small child with blue eyes and blonde hair bumped into her crying. "I...I'm sorry. That boy nearly burned my pinky clear off." The boy said between sobs. Holding up a red finger.

Eviena took her wand out and with a flick the redness lightened and his sobs subsided. She gave a small smile and took him by the hand, nodding stiffly to Alphard in goodbye.

She wasn't quite listening to the small child chatter beside her but was amused by all the small children's questioning as to why she was riding with them to the castle while all the other big kids took the carriages all the way to the castle.

When they reached the castle they were put in a small room for sorting where Eviena put on her black robe which she grabbed from her trunk before being told to leave it behind.

Before she could gather her breathe, they were led into the great hall for sorting. The sorting hat sitting on the stool woke with a start seemingly tasting the warm air.

He gave a short speech that Eviena didn't pay any attention to and then the sorting began. She kept her eyes down only taking notice when a tall wizard with auburn hair and a crooked nose gave her a smile, his eyes landing on her tightly balled fist.

"Aviste, Eviena" The short plump witch shouted, the crowd going silent when she went and sat on the stool.

"Oh my, so much darkness and pain." The small voice said with pity. "You certainly have a brain, and you have a bravery that Godric Gryffindor himself would find envious, but the house I see you excelling in is Salzar's."

"Please don't do that. Hufflepuff would be fine. No one cares for Hufflepuff." She pleaded.

"You have survived far worse, my lovely little Halfling. You shall find you're match in Slytherin. You will thank me later."

"Or pull your stitching out." She thought coldly.

"Oh yes that settles that. SLYTHERIN!" The hat bellowed, her heart crushed by the thunderous applause that came from the smallest house.

She walked towards the table but then thought better of it and walked straight out of the great hall, ignoring the cat calls and hoots.

She wasn't familiar with the castle so she retraced her steps back towards the entrance. She had just reached the bottom steps when a long fingered hand gently sat itself upon her shoulder.

"You're father disliked Slytherin as well. He adjusted well enough though when he met your mother." A gentle voice spoke from behind her.

She turned slowly to see the old wizard with twinkling eyes staring down at her.

She felt tears welling in her eyes but she refused to blink them away. She didn't want to be in that house filled with people who had already left a bad taste in her mouth from her eventful train ride.

"It is not a bad house, I do suppose that I secretly wish you were in mine, Gryffindor. But once that hat has spoken its words are final."

He sat down on the step and Eviena followed suit.

"I know you have come here under grey circumstance and I know you do not speak. But although you are not in my house and I am sure Horace will delight in having you, I will always be at your service."

They sat there for a few more moments while her eyes dried up before he stood and extended a hand.

"I do believe we are missing a great feast and I promise the house elves of Hogwarts will not disappoint."

She took his hand, slightly comforted by his words and allowed him to escort her back into the great hall where everyone stopped to gape.

He led her to the Slytherin table and straight towards her doom.

", Miss. Aviste this is Tom Riddle." He said with a bit less life in his voice.

"It is nice to meet you Miss. Aviste." He said with a charming smile taking her hand and kissing it for all to see and aww over.

She could see his eyes daring her to pull away but she decided she would rather avoid a scene.

"I would be most grateful if you showed Eviena to her new house. She is not feeling very well."

"Of course professor. It would be my pleasure."

He took Eviena's arm, his grip making her wince slightly. She now found her new affection for the old wizard dwindling as he handed her over to a mad man.

He led her out of the hall wall only releasing her arm for her wrist when they were away from the clatter of plates and chatter.

"It would seem fate has shown me favor." He said with a cruel smirk.

"Placing you in my house, in my very year. What luck."

He led her down and into a darker area of the castle where the air was cooler.

She attempted to pull away but his grip was too tight and didn't think to grab her wand.

He pulled her in front of a large portrait of a grim looking man. "Draconis Purist." He said to the portrait pulling her through and forcing her into a chair. She attempted to move from the high back chair but he had once again pinned her.

"You are in my house and I will not have anyone touching what I have deemed mine." He ran a hand down her neck as she sat frozen.

"I enjoy the envois stares of the girls, the hungry eyes of the boys and even a few of the professors. But I will not allow you to belong to another, not while I desire you."

He straightened up and paced slowly in front of her.

"I have no incentive nor desire to hide my true nature since you have responded so.._well_. My initial plan was to woo you, lure you, seduce you. But after your bold display on the train I have decided to take a bolder approach."

"I shall pursue you until you break. You will not have a moments rest until you are mine and only mine."

He leaned back down and gently brushed her hair away from her face causing her to shutter.

"The next kiss I share with you will be given willingly. I will find out your fears and I will use them against you."

He lifted with a haughty smile and turned on his heels.

"The girl dormitories are to the left and I have been charged with showing the castle and taking you to your classes. Goodnight Eviena."

He disappeared through the portrait and Eviena thought it funny that his threats had been so mild. She wondered if he was a good enough wizard to destroy her the way he said, she had bested him more than once that day. But for now she just wanted to sleep and little else mattered.

The common room as well as everything else was black, white, and emerald green. She thought with a useless smile that Riddle had been right about her being a walking advertisement for her knew house.

She changed quickly into a long night gown and lay in her new black and green linen bed. She closed her curtains and placed a silencing charm on them. She had been told by a house elf that she moaned in her sleep.

No sooner had her eyes closed was she being awoken by a loud clearing of a throat.

She woke slowly, leaning up to see Riddle staring unamused by her exposed legs, her nightgown now well above her thigh.

He dragged his wand up the length of her leg be laughing humorlessly. "To think this all belongs to me is positively delightful." He withdrew his wand.

"Get up and get dressed. I will be waiting at the entrance. You have five minutes." He swept from the room and she got dressed.

She walked through the common room, ignoring the stares around her, especially that of Alphard's.

She saw Tom's smirk but ignored it.

They walked the castle for what seemed to be hours as he drawled on about this and that. A speech he had clearly given many times before. He turned pointed towards the wood.

"That is the forbidden forest, many dangerous things lurk there." His smirk turned into a sneer. "You are to never go there. I wish to be the only danger you ever encounter."

He was almost nose to nose with her with a round older man bounced toward them. Eviena gave him a cold stare which didn't go unnoticed by Riddle the many was upon them.

"Tom m'boy." The man boomed. "How is our newest student adjusting."

"Very well, professor Slughorn. We have just concluded our tour." Riddle said with a charming smile.

Eviena wanted to walk away from the sickening façade Riddle did so well but before she could Slughorn had her hand and was shaking it furiously.

"My dear I am so happy to have you in my house. Your placement exam grades were spotless and to have two of the best and brightest in my house, well it gives this old man pride."

Eviena tried to smile but decided it was better to not strain her face.

He shot a smile at Tom and then to her pleasure, released her hand.

"Now I must be off to see Dippet about something or other. Take good care of her Tom." The professor said before he nodded to Eviena and bounced off again.

She couldn't find a valid reason to dislike him but she could find one to like him either. She wondered if he knew the snake that lurked within his house or if he was just too blinded with false pride to see.

Eviena was pulled from her musings by a tight hand constricting around her wrist.

"Come." He said sternly. "And don't look for your wand I took it while you were being touched by that oaf." A smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.

They walked for a short while until they were back to the common room entrance.

"In order for you to get in, you are to touch the two bottom corners of the portrait and bow." He demonstrated and then turned to her.

"This will only work for you."

Eviena nodded and went to touch the portrait to escape him but he pulled her away.

She had had enough. She yanked her wrist hard from his grip, her hand colliding with his face before reason could stop her. She belonged to no one and was now tired of this.

Her heart drummed in her ears and she unconsciously took a step back as a red glint slid across his eyes.

"That was very foolish."

He pulled out a long pale wand but before a spell could land on her, the portrait swung open.

Alphard stepped out followed by the others.

"What the hell is going on?" He said through gritted teeth.

Riddle took a deep breath and placed his wand back in his robes. "I was merely concluding."

Riddle stalked towards Eviena and placed her wand in her robes.

"We aren't finished." He hissed into her ear before sweeping down the corridor.

Eviena stared after him, it seemed everything at Hogwarts just wanted her to have a break down. She knew this of course would be no easy feat but, with Riddle thrown on top of everything, she wondered if it would be too much to bear.

Her attention shifted in a second back to Alphard.

"Did that git hurt you? Bastard. Thinks he can run the—wait!" Alphard said anxiously.

Eviena was tired of the male population at Hogwarts and was halfway through the portrait when Alphard yelled her name.

She turned on her heels and looked at him, waiting for his next batch of ineffective words.

"Tomorrow, can you meet at the great lake after classes?"

Her head tilted to the side in confusion before she went through the portrait.

"I'll wait for you there." He shouted before the portrait hole closed and the howls of laughter from his friends erupted.

For the rest of day Eviena stayed on her bed, sleeping on and off and ignoring the snide comments outside of her curtains. She attempted to read but the words had been permanently burned in her mind since the summer.

This was the atmosphere Eviena loved. Silence, darkness, solitude. All of the things she would soon be deprived of she thought with dread.

That night she dreamed a familiar dream. Surrounded by red and the stench of death and hopelessness. But there was something different about this dream, this time she wasn't alone. Someone lifted her from pool of blood, holding her on unsteady legs.

His face grew clearer as silent moments passed and then she saw him. His beautiful face frozen in an expressionless mask. His grip on her arms tightened and she felt her breath leave her.

When she awoke her hair was sticking to her face and her pillow was damp. Eviena looked at her small wrist watch and saw it was exactly 4 o clock. She sighed and tip toed quietly out of the Slytherin Dormitory and into the dark corridor.

She didn't like that she had dreamed about Tom Riddle that night or that_ he _had been the force that rescued her from her nightmare. But she couldn't shake the image from her head, or a feeling that she had not experienced since that fateful night. Which was safety.


	6. A Friend and a Fairy

Eviena walked down the corridor of the sleeping castle, her hand following the wall as the pale moonlight bathed her feet and the dim torches illuminated her face. She like the silence, the solitude, but she had to admit that the school was quite beautiful, just like the castles she had once read about in fairytales.

She wanted it to stay like this forever, be free from everyone and everything. She didn't think that was such a large demand.

Eviena had been walking for some time before she heard the sounds of footsteps quickly approaching. She quickly moved back around the corner but just before she could make a dash make towards her dormitory she heard an all too familiar voice.

"I told you Peeves to _go_ away. Before I call the Bloody Baron." Riddle threatened.

"Oh pretty Slytherin up to no good again. Poor weepy girl. Dead dead! Pretty little Slytherin Peevesies knows all of your secrets." The high pitched voice taunted.

"I'm getting the Bloody Barron and telling him you've been bothering the Grey Lady again." Riddle hissed.

There was silence for a moment before a loud sigh was heard. "Alright, alright. Peeves was just having a laugh. No need to tell, I'll never tell on you." He said in fear.

The footsteps picked up again and Eviena attempted to move but couldn't. She knew by now there was no way to escape him, with no doors to be seen and a long corridor lit well enough for him to see her flee. She slid further from the corner and braced herself for her discovery, but just then a cold knob formed beneath her hand and a door appeared.

With no other option she slid into the room, gasping for air was her body felt it was safe to breathe. The room was small but comfortable. The walls were white and there was a long mirror along one of them as well as a dance bar. In the center of the room lay a large bed with high posts and sheer yellow curtains that were pulled back to reveal white and yellow linens.

The room was simple, quaint, and perfect.

Eviena crawled into the center of the bed and stared at her reflection. She wondered what Peeves was talking about and the dead girl he mentioned.

The memory of Riddle's voice sent chills down her spine but at the moment she was free from him. And she refused to question the magic or history behind her new sanctuary as she drifted off to sleep. At least not yet.

Eviena awoke some hours later to a dim light coming in through windows near the ceiling. She watched the light slowly overcome the darkness before she decided it would be best to go back to the Slytherin dungeons.

She quietly left the room but not before allowing her hand to trace over the dance bar. She hadn't danced in more than three years thanks to her uncle's denouncement of such muggle establishments.

After making a mental promise to herself that she would come back to her secret place she left the room, carefully retracing her steps until she was back in front of the common room entrance. The picture was of a large green snake, with rough looking scales and a pair of red glowing eyes. It hissed quietly at her as she performed the steps to get into her prison cell and then allowed her admittance.

Eviena was shocked when she saw a figure slightly slouched in a large black high backed chair, the same one she had been forced into that night. She quietly tipped past the chair and towards the staircase when she felt a wave of nausea strike her stomach as something strong tried to pierce her mind.

She clutched the railing for support as she regained her breath and the lump in her throat subsided.

"If you simply let me in, we wouldn't have to play this trivial game."

An all too familiar voice drawled.

She turned slowly to see Riddle's blank face observing her.

"6:30. My aren't we an early riser." He stood from his chair placing a small black book in his robes.

He took a few long strides towards her before he was directly in front of her. Just an arm's reach away.

"All this resistance to me is futile Eviena. I've never lost a game before in my life. You will be no exception."

She stood still as a long fingered hand swept her angled bang away and behind her ear.

"You see. I can be kind when I wish to be." He let his hand drop and took another step closer so his lips grazed her ear gently.

"We aren't so different. You will see that soon."

His words sent a noticeable shiver through her spine. His sentence sounding more like a threat than anything else.

With that he left her to regain her composure as he disappeared into the boy dormitory.

Eviena couldn't remember the last time she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. How could such an arrogant jerk have been the one to grant her such relief from her nightmares. She sat down on the step and placed her head in her hands.

It hadn't even been a full day and yet she was already ready to pack her things and live amongst the muggles. They weren't that bad after all, just a bit magically challenge. But they survived just fine, something she was unsure of at the moment.

She needed something to think about. Something to keep her mind and body away from Riddle and the others. But the moment nothing was coming her.

Eviena showered and dressed in her uniform and robes. She picked up her new leather satchel her aunt had given her and began to sort the books she would need for the day.

Her dorm mates had just begun to stir when she slipped out of the door. She wasn't quite ready to meet the persnickety girls she was to live with for a year. She left the dorm without a second thought to Riddle. She wasn't his property and the sooner he got over that, the better.

Fairy magic could do strange things when her anger or fear piqued and at the moment she was willing to admit to herself that she wasn't sure which emotion he would incite first.

She walked slowly into the dining hall were only the professors and a few students had gathered. Everyone's eyes turned to her and then went back to their original tasks.

She returned the smiles of Professor Slughorn and Dumbledore and sat down at the Slytherin table. Quietly eating a bowl of fruit and sipping her very sweet coffee.

"You're up early." Alphard said as he took the seat across from her. Placing down a small black covered book with ancient looking pages.

She looked quickly to the doorway but the bench made it nearly impossible to make a graceful getaway.

"Please don't leave V."

He looked desperate, like his life depended on her presence. In way that made her want to leave more and the fact that he had used her nickname.

"I wrote to you. A thousand times over. I could never find the strength to send them though. I mean what can you say in a situation like that?" He ran a hand through his long hair and stared at her.

"Your skin kind of glows in the sunlight." He said absentmindedly.

She felt her face scrunch into a confused expression and then saw the anxiousness reappear in him.

"I'm sorry…it just came out…I'm ruining everything. Only around you. I swear all the other girls don't have such an unnerving affect." Alphard took a sip of coffee and stared at her for a moment.

She had finished her fruit and coffee by the time he began to speak again. She was still a bit shocked she was listening. But some part deep inside of her wanted to hear what he had to say, wanted to hear the words of the only friend she had ever possessed.

She had forgotten how dark his eyes were or the charm of his crooked smile. She needed to forget all these things again, longing for someone's friendship; someone that had hurt her would only add pain to her already bleak existence.

More students began to trickle into the dining hall, cue that it was time for Eviena to make a break for it.

She grabbed her bag and began to leave but Alphard caught her by the shoulder.

"I know you won't be able to forgive me for a while. But I'll wait patiently for as long as it takes." He said quietly.

He handed her the small black book before leaving the hall and disappearing around the corner.

Eviena took a few steps out of the hall and out of the way of the other students before opening the book.

Her heart stopped and she felt her eyes sting with tears. The image that greeted her was of a small green fairy whose wings were made of leaves and whose hair was a faded red. The words "The Adventures of Elsie the Sprite" read in gold lettering and beneath was a quick had written note.

_You left this at my house. I tried to send it back but it was the only piece I had of you. I'm sorry. I hope this makes your day a little brighter._

_Hopefully your friend again someday,_

_Al_

Tears spilled onto the yellow and tattered pages. Her father had brought her this book for her birthday. It was the only story she had ever allowed them to read to her and she had almost forgotten about it.

She hadn't felt the urge to read about fairies ever since discovering that she was one. But as Alphard's presence had shown her, running from her past was futile and so was running from what she was. _Who_ she was.

Eviena didn't want to let go of the bit of happiness that Alphard had just bestowed upon her and quickly re-entered the hall. A place she knew _he_ was not likely to cause a scene if she stumbled across him.

She sat at the end of the table, close to the professors. Reading the travels and adventures that she dimly remembered.

A warm hand grasped her shoulder and she looked up to see Dumbledore's twinkling eyes.

"I believe your first class is transfiguration. Do you mind if I accompany you."

She reluctantly closed her book and placed it in her bag. Walking along side the old man until what seemed like an unmovable force reappeared.

"."

"Professor." He said curtly.

"Your services are no longer needed and I am happy to report that you may return to your school work and Prefect duties. It would seem Eviena has everything under control."

Dumbledore's voice lost a bit of its enthusiasm and the twinkle in his eyes dimmed.

"With all due respect, I think it would be in Eviena's best interest if she were to have an escort. At least until she becomes more familiar with the school." Tom said with a smile that could charm the paint of a portrait.

She looked hopefully up at Dumbledore again who seemed to thinking about Riddle's words. This old man was swiftly losing favor with her.

"You do have a point Tom." Dumbledore looked back down at Eviena who was making it no secret that she didn't care for the idea.

No person in their right mind would willingly walk into the mouth of a snake she thought with a silent snort.

"We shall see to it that Eviena is properly taken care of while at Hogwarts. But for now we all must be off to class. It wouldn't look right if the professor was late to his own class. Now would it?"

They all walked in silence to transfiguration class. She noticed the victorious smile on Riddle's face and wanted nothing more than to slap it off. At least in that thing called detention that he had explained to her, she would be free of him.

They entered the class and Dumbledore directed her into a seat in the front. To her dismay this seat was directly across from a triumphant looking Tom, who seemed to be relishing her discomfort.

Eviena pushed this from her mind and glanced around the room. Her eyes landed on Alphard and stayed there for a moment longer than needed. Her hand slipped into her bookbag and felt the newly covered book that had been such a large part of her childhood.

He flashed her an unsure smile. And to both of their surprise, she gave him a small smile back.

Her focus turned back to the front of the class when Dumbledore began to speak. With it being the first day of classes, notes were the only thing done in each of her classes. She was already bored with this school.

Being home schooled meant that she was the sole focus of her tutor which meant she had already covered the majority of the material she was being forced to relearn.

"You looked like you were going to fall asleep back there."

Eviena turned to see a small dark haired girl jogging alongside her.

"The history of the wizarding world is a bore. And Binns looks like he's about to croak. Even then I think he'd find a way to teach the class." She said with an unsure laugh.

"My name is Vela Zabini, I'm one of your roommates." She said with a smile.

"I know you don't talk much. Neither do I. I think that's why Dumbledore asked me to help you with your transition."

She placed her deep brown hair on her right shoulder and seemingly jumped in front of Eviena causing her to abruptly stop.

"I'm sorry for anything you heard last night. The girls in Slytherin aren't very nice. I've been dealing with them for years, it doesn't get any better, I'm sorry to say."

She took a deep breath and averted her eyes. "But maybe we could be friends. You seem nice and it would be nice to have a friend in my own house. No one likes me ever since I dated a Hufflepuff."

"He wasn't even a muggle." Vela mumbled.

"So what do you say?"

Eviena looked over the girl. She looked very young to be in her year but something about her hopeful eyes made it almost impossible for her to walk away. Maybe she did want a friend. Or at least an ally.

She nodded and smiled.

"I can't wait to tell my mother I made a new friend that wasn't in Hufflepuff." Vela said in delight as she began walking again.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to lunch stopping just short of the entrance.

"I have to warn you about something?"

Eviena's eyebrows pulled together in confusion and Vela continued.

"I heard some of the boys of our house talking….they have a bet and… it involves you." Her cheeks brightened and Eviena quickly pulled out a piece of parchment she was scribbling on in astronomy.

_We're friends now, right? _She wrote in a loopy scribble.

Vela read the note and nodded. The word friend still seemed foreign and Eviena knew she would have a tough time getting used to it.

_So as a friend I want to say thank you for the warning. But you are probably the only friend I'll have or want while here. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay_

Vela smiled. "Dumbledore was right, you are more mature than some of this lot."

They continued into the great hall and took a seat at the end of the table.

They ate quietly. Vela was a sweet girl who enjoyed reading and sitting by the black lake. Eviena was already warming up to her.

"Vela. I see you are Ms. Aviste's new escort." Riddle said with a blank face.

"Dumbledore asked me." Vela said quietly. Her eyes focused on her mashed potatoes.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying. House traitors really shouldn't pollute new stock." His tone was polite but his words nasty and cutting.

"She's not cattle." Vela mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Riddles brow arched gracefully, daring her to repeat her statement.

Eviena turned and stood up looking Riddle in the eye. Friends _were_ suppose to protect each other, at least that's what Sherlock Holmes and Watson did.

_You want a peak inside my mind, fine. _She shouted into his mind. She attempted to avoid seeing anything that would add to her nightmares but allowed a small window for her to convey her message.

_You do nothing but intimidate and attempt inflict pain on me for not falling into line. Well here it is, this is what you want, its right here. I'm talking to you. And still I feel nothing. I'm not a toy. And I will not allow you to talk to my friend that way when she has done nothing to you. You hound me like a dog, NO a sad puppy whose mother has just died. Just leave me alone!_

His fists and jaw tightened simultaneously.

_You know nothing of which you speak._ He hissed menacingly inside her mind.

_And you have no idea what I am capable of. _She thought of her wand and how her fairy blood seemed to magnify the intensity of her spells. At least that was the conclusion she came to.

_Is that a threat? _His hand twitched towards his wand as he held the reflection of her emerald eyes in his bottomless dark pools.

_No, I just feel it my duty to educate you. _Eviena had never felt so venomous. She didn't like the way he made her feel but she enjoyed yelling her frustrations out at someone.

The last time she tried to open a channel between her mind and another's, her aunt was out for two weeks solid. She was very thankful no one knew why. Her uncle attributing it to her weak frame.

He leaned in close to her ear, cutting off the connection between them.

"Mark my words Eviena, you will regret your statement to me." His whisper was feather light but the weight of it felt like a boulder. With that he left the hall.

Vela looked at her in confusion but Eviena just shook her head and smiled.

For the next two weeks Eviena found a little slice of peace in Hogwarts. Of course the girls still called her unsavory names and the boys made their pitiful advances, but Riddle kept his distance from her and Alphard seemed to be to leery to make a move, she assumed he was afraid of her reaction. But even she felt his baby steps were moving too slow with the occasional hi and how are you?. Which she never responded verbally to.

Slowly but surely Eviena was getting comfortable with the castle and her constant companion Vela, whom she truly enjoyed being around. She wasn't very demanding and was comfortable in the silence.

But as much as she enjoyed Vela, she was happy she had recently reconnected with her Hufflepuff boyfriend. I nice energetic boy with ruddy red cheeks and blonde hair. She still enjoyed her solitude.

Eviena enjoyed the castle and was even starting to enjoy her classes. But now that she was comfortable with her surroundings and something resembling contentment was surfacing within her. It was now time to do what she knew she would have to do one day, which was find out as much as she could about the fey. Since she was now very well acquainted with the witch within her, it was now time to discover the fairy within her. A task made much easier by her new hiding hole. The library.


	7. The Kelpie

Tom watched her stoic face jot to down the notes Slughorn charmed the chalk to write. The fat lump to busy stuffing his face with chocolate frogs Tom had previously given him before class. Allies were needed in every area and if he was to gain knowledge of horcruxes, he needed to utilize every resource he had.

A few weeks had passed since his last encounter with _her_ and the thought of her in his mind, the access she had to every piece of him still made his blood boil.

His fists clenched under the table, his nails digging into his palm to avoid throwing a hex her way. Although she was careful not to see anything and learn his deepest secrets, no one had ever broken through his mental barriers and the fact that she, a fragile looking harlot had done so infuriated him.

Obviously she was one not to be underestimated.

He was infatuated against his will. He had even resorted to sending a stinging hex to a fifth year girl Slytherin house member after he witnessed the girl and her friends bump into Eviena on purpose.

She really was the embodiment of stone. He never saw her smile or grow angry. Even when her dorm mates talked ill against her in front of her face, she stayed solid.

A small part of him, a part he was unwilling to acknowledge liked the fact that she ignored everyone except that little nuisance Vela, who clung to her like morning dew to grass.

Of course he witnessed the attempts of Black trying to gain her attention, and to his dismay he had seen her allowing him more and more time to speak before leaving the babbling idiot.

Tom had every intention of putting her in her place, making her acknowledge his might and submit to his will. He just had to wait until the time was right, when she wouldn't expect it.

But she was always on her guard, as he had seen numerous times when he came across her in the library. He still didn't understand why girls were obsessed with fairies; he would have thought she was above that.

"Now class I know that I usually allow you to pick your own partners but after my discussion with Mr. Riddle I do feel it necessary to foster new relationships within the class." He said with a knowing smile towards Tom.

"Now if you wouldn't mind picking up your belongings and finding your name. These shall be your assigned seats for the rest of term."

Slughorn gave a flick of his wand and the class began to scatter about to their new assigned seats. Tom however knew exactly where he was seated.

He took his seat next to her, the very picture of poise. If he hadn't known first hand of her magical abilities he would have mistaken her for someone with not a single intelligent thought in her head.

Of course he had persuaded Slughorn to place him next to Eviena. He needed to be as close to her as possible if he wanted to learn her secrets. Tom Riddle didn't fail and she was no exception.

They sat as far away from each other as was possible but he was closer to her then he had been in a very long time. He took pleasure in her stiff posture and the glances she continued to throw his way. She was right to be wary of him but he was not foolish enough to do anything in front of teachers.

With one graceful arm movement her hair formed a black curtain shielding her face from view. A light rose scent infiltrating the air around him. It was relatively warm the second week of October but she was in full uniform and unlike the other girls her skirt was not rolled up and touched just below her knee.

"Now class today I thought I would start with a lecture but then decided on something a bit different."

He walked around and leaned on his desk placing his sausage fingers atop his belly.

"You have all obviously proven yourselves with regards to potions, otherwise you would not be here."

He gave an approving look to Tom and Eviena and continued. Tom really couldn't stand the oaf but considering that he had delivered Eviena so nicely into Tom's clutches at the moment he was content to listen.

"Now that you have your new partners I would like you all to research a potion, that takes at least a month to brew and begin it in a weeks' time. We will continue with are scheduled course work but time will be allocated to your individual projects."

The class buzzed in excitement but Tom only looked for a reaction from the girl beside him. To his pleasure he saw her fists whiten as they clenched.

Her skirt inched up slightly as she grasped the fabric revealing thin pink and white marks on her thigh. She turned her head and saw him watching her hands and quickly smoothed back down her skirt.

Tom pretended to listen to the rest of Slughorn's lecture but his mind was too busy thinking of all the possible ways she could have gotten such scars and in such great number.

The thought of someone hurting her in such a way disgusted him and infuriated him.

He was to be the only one to harm that body of hers. And even then it was only to show her who was in control.

Tom hated the way she so easily ripped down his mental shields like a hand does a spider's web but at that moment he didn't think of anything else he wanted more than to talk to her.

That thought alone disgusted him. He never had the desire to talk to another. They unnatural and irresistible pull she had on him was unacceptable, and he knew he would have to break it soon.

When class was over neither of them moved, even Slughorn had scurried out giving Tom a wink before he waddled away.

"You know we will have to speak to one another in order to do our assignment." He said quietly, each of them looking straight ahead.

She turned to him, the sun reflecting off of her skin.

She opened her book and pulled out a piece of parchment and tapped it with her wand, words sprawling across the page.

_I had no right to invade your mind. If you want to retaliate then do it so we can ignore one another once more._

"Well aren't you eager for punishment." He said with a sneer, annoyed by the lack of struggle.

_I want to be left alone. _The paper read.

"You seem to have a fondness for Alphard and Vela."

_Tolerance._

She shoved her books in her bag.

_People call me a bitch, a tease. And …._

"And you wonder why they call you these things?" he said with a smirk.

She began to chew on her lip, before standing up and throwing her bag over her shoulder.

_It doesn't matter. If you are going to do something then do it, otherwise I have someplace to be. _

He stared at her for a moment but said nothing. He then watched her snatch the parchment, discarding it before she left the room.

Tom had no idea what had possessed him, but he was literally paralyzed. Anyone else and he would have hexed them or at least caused some degree of discomfort. Somehow he knew cruel words or dark magic would not be enough to break her.

As he traveled the halls to the dungeons he didn't really know why he wanted to see her broken. Usually there was some reason for such wants, but with her it was more of a compulsion than anything. Or maybe he was just interested to see how she managed to be so emotionless when he had to work so hard at it.

######

Eviena walked into the courtyard and took a seat next to Vela, handing her a handkerchief in the process. Vela had been a sniffling mess ever since she caught her beloved Hufflepuff with another girl. Eviena didn't quite remember his name, and was now happy she didn't take the trouble to.

"I saw him today." She sniffed. "With _her."_

Eviena patted her shoulder gently, after a few weeks of Vela she now felt she was a pro at reading her and giving the proper reaction.

"You know the worst part, he never even thanked me for copying my homework."

Vela leaned her head on Eviena's shoulder, an action she had to keep from shying away from.

Eviena listened to her ramble on for a good half an hour and then decided it best to remove her from the audience that was developing.

They walked through a deserted corridor until two robed bodies burst through the door beside them.

"Alphard I told you not to bite." A high pitched voice squealed with a laugh.

Her name was Preva Becks, one of the roommates Eviena avoided at all costs. She had dark hair and a pointed nose that could shame pinnochio. Eviena really didn't feel anything towards the girl who made it a point to call her at least one bad name before lights out. But that didn't mean she would have cared if the girl was attacked by a blast ended skrewt.

Alphard spun around with a smirk, zipping up his fly in the process. When he saw Eviena's face the color drained from his forehead down to his collar. It wasn't as if she didn't know how the Black brothers operated, Eviena was well aware it was a family trait.

"Come one Ev, let's go the other way." Vela said trying to pull her in the opposite direction.

Like a good little doll she allowed Vela to pull her away from the confused and embarrassed roommate and a petrified Alphard. She didn't know if she was supposed to feel anything about the situation but by the way Vela was attempting to console her, she figured she wasn't reacting in the appropriate manner.

"He's just using her because he can't have you." Vela said after a very long rant.

Eviena shook her head a forced a smile. Alphard didn't want her, no one wanted her. Possession was more the term for it, as she had discovered with Riddle.

As she walked to divination, a class she did not care for, she wondered how things would be if she talked. She wasn't anything special. She had no real interests in anything unless you counted her cello and new obsession with her fairy ancestry.

Eviena ran a light hand over her inner thigh and felt the raised scars. She would never forget the lengths she went to in order to feel something, anything. To those around her she may have been stoic, but she remembered what it was like to truly not feel or care. At least now she chose not to care.

She took a seat next to Abraxas. She hated being his partner in the useless class, all he did was stare at himself in the crystal ball.

"Now that you are aware of Alphard's daytime fun, I am here if you need a shoulder to cry on." he whispered as the teacher spoke of how to read the tea leaves that now sat before them.

Eviena chose to ignore him and continued to feign interest in the topic.

"I would break your vow of silence." He said in a disgustingly suave voice.

She froze when she felt his hand on her thigh. Before his fingers could inch towards her secret she knocked the cup of steaming tea into his lap.

"Bitch" he yelped shooting up and trying to gain relief from the scalding tea.

"!" Professor Dresoria screeched. "You will not speak to anyone in that classroom in that manner. Now off with you to the infirmary and 10 points from Slytherin."

Malfoy leaned down to get his bag. "This is not over." He hissed before stalking away.

Eviena sighed and opened her textbook. How someone could make so many enemies by minding their own business was utterly confusing. She was so frustrated she thought she would cry. Her aunt had promised nothing like this would happen. But then again, she was stupid to believe in promises.

After class she quickly made her way to the library and grabbed every single book with the mention of fey. She had yet to do such an extensive search. A large part of her feared that Grindlewald had been lying when he murdered her parents; that fairies didn't exist and she was deluding herself in such a search. But the longer she was around her fellow classmates, the more she knew she didn't belong.

Three hours and two skipped classes later she had yet to find anything of value. Nothing but fluff stories and tall tales. She pushed all the books away and leaned her head against the table. She had searched every one of those books and not one of them gave her hope.

With a heavy heart she returned the books. As she put the last one away and headed for the exit she paused in front of the restricted section. It was off limits to students and she had no real reason to gain access to it.

Eviena looked around before deciding she couldn't leave without at least trying. She pulled a ribbon from her bag and tied her hair to the side.

Her eyes scoped the books until she came to one entitled _The Good People_. She pulled the book from the shelf and sat down with it. After an hour of reading she decided that the entire library was mocking her and sulked off towards her dorm.

Tonight was particularly quiet as she got ready, she assumed the redness in Preva's cheeks meant she was too embarrassed or nervous to provoke her.

She drew the curtains around her bed and pulled out her little book with the green sprite, the tip of her wand giving light. The tale was an old one, the only one she knew by heart. Elsie the sprite had been tricked into giving away her light and in order to become a fairy once more she had to consult many mythical beasts to regain it.

Eviena read through the short tale and placed it on the pillow next to her. As she sat staring at the book she had just finished, an idea began to manifest in her mind. Elsie and her were so similar, they had each lost a piece of themselves and wanted it back. Since the books in the library had done little to aid her, she felt she had nothing to lose with taking a chance on the creatures Elsie had encountered.

With an excitement too much to bear she waited until her dorm mates were asleep and quietly snuck out of the portrait hole. The snake portrait hissing at her before slipping back into his slumber.

She quietly stowed away in a nightgown with thick lace straps that barely touched her knees. When away from the castle she couldn't keep herself from sprinting towards the black lake. She didn't know if the kelpies she had read about in faerie lore were real or not but she had nothing to lose in attempting to find one.

Once at the waters edge she waited till she regained her breath before recalling what Elsie had done to summon the kelpie.

With no leaf close by like the one Elsie used, she pulled a fist full of grass from the earth. She bit savagely into her hand until she could taste the blood on her tongue.

She squeezed the blood over the grass and threw it into the water. With hands clasped tight she prayed the kelpie would hear her plea and spring forth but after a time nothing happened. She began to back away from the waters edge when her eyes caught the slight rippling of water.

Before her eyes in the bright moonlight a large black horse sprung forth, red eyes glowing and hind legs kicking at the water. The kelpie advanced slowly before bowing in front of her.

"_He came." _She thought we hitched breath.

"_Of course I came. The fey almost never willingly give me their blood. I was curious." _The large horse answered.

Her circled round her. His main brushed against her back as he bucked shook his head, the hairs slicing into her nightgown and scraping against her back.

"_I really am fey?"_

"_Yes, but your blood is weak. You are part human."_

Eviena nodded her head_. "I need to find my mother's people. I need someplace to belong."_

"_Your people are elusive and shun everything of this world. That is why your mother was banished."_

"_You knew my mother?"_

"_I knew of her. Very few fey would give up their magic for a human."_ He said in disgust.

"_Can you tell me where my people are?"_

The kelpie let out a loud neigh._ "Get on my back and I will show you." _

Eviena took a step back. She kelpies were not to be trusted._ "You lie. You want to drown me."_

What she thought was a smile crossed his face and then he replied._ "Death is so beautiful. Would you deprive me the sight? To see those mermaids frolic instead of die in the depths below is sickening."_

"_What if I gave you something else?"_she thought in nervousness.

"_What could you give me?"_

Eviena shrugged._ "What do you want?"_

The Kelpie thought about it for a moment and then sighed_. "Give me your little friend."_

"_Vela?" _the name was a whisper even in her mind.

"_Yes."_

"_How do you know of her?"_

"_Oh Eviena, you are very special to them. All of us fey creatures watch you from the shadows."_

"_Who am I special too? And why do you watch me?"_

She could barely tolerate it when people watched her, she didn't need anymore eyes making her uncomfortable.

"_Give me something, and I will tell you." _he said sinking back into the water._ "Until then goodnight little fairy, I will wait for your return."_

The kelpie left Eviena both upset and ecstatic. She may have been being watched, and he may have wanted to kill her but she was a fairy. Eviena laid down beside the bank and stared at the water. Tears sprang from her eyes and an unmovable smile stuck onto her face.

For the first time in a very long time, she had a reason to be happy. She now knew she wasn't a freak, she was a fairy.

######

Tom strolled down the corridor with a sneer. It was barely dawn and he was already in a foul mood. His horcrux search had gotten him nowhere and to add insult to injury he now how to help plan a ridiculous ball. He stuck his hands in his pockets and quickly made his way out of the castle. He needed some air and space away from them all.

As he made his way towards the forbidden forest, hoping something would attack him so he could kill it. He saw the outline a girl with raven hair. He advanced cautiously towards the body. When he was close enough he noticed the cuts in her gown and the traces of blood on the white fabric. Her thighs were visible and so weren't the many small cuts that healed over.

Fear momentarily gripped him as he thought of all the horrible things that could have happened to her. His Eviena.

Without thinking he gently scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the castle. She was lighter than she looked and fit perfectly in his arms. Her legs were covered in dirt and grass and the side of her face was pinker than the rest of her body from where she slept.

She let out a soft moan and buried her head into his chest. He could feel the heat rise into his cheeks. This reaction angered him.

He brought her to the room of requirement and laid her down in the large bed with black and green linens. There was nothing else other than the large black chair he sat in and watched her from.

Tom looked her over again. He didn't like the state she was in. He didn't even know why he cared.

When she began to stir, his grip on the chair tightened and he braced himself for her reaction.

Her bright green eyes widened at the sight of him and she abruptly sat up, her dark hair falling over her eye.

"Don't worry, if I wanted to do something, I would have done it." he drawled.

She pulled a sheet over her exposed legs.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

She looked down and then away, uncertainty on her face.

In two easy strides he was upon her. "Who hurt you?" he hissed, shaking her by the arms.

She shook her head and a strange smile overcame her face.

"Well that is a relief. If someone touched you I don't think I would be able to control myself." He sat back down in his seat and sighed.

He pulled the piece of paper from his pocket and un-crumbled it. "Does it still work?"

_Yes _. The paper scrawled.

"Good." he began to say something else but then saw words scribbling themselves on the paper.

_What do you want Riddle? I have nothing to give you._

"On the contrary. You are pretty." He said in a mocking tone.

She stared at him with bright green eyes. He saw no visible emotion other than genuine curiosity.

_I don't need your help or any friends._

"What is Vela?" he asked with a raised brow.

_Someone who needs a friend. There is a difference._

She brought the blankets closer around her and sighed.

He raised a graceful brow. "How do you know that I don't just want you for your looks?"

In a move that stunned him, she left the bed and walked over to him. She leaned in close and wiped her fingers over the highest part of his cheek, close to his eye.

She pulled away and flicked the dirt away before leaving him in the room alone.

He looked down and read what the paper now said. _You are neither stupid enough nor shallow enough to settle for a pretty face. And I am not that naïve or oblivious to see that._

His cheek burned from the contact and he was rooted to his seat. After reading the line over and over again for a good half an hour, he left the room and strolled off to class.

He kept the not tucked in his pocket and wondered just how much she had picked up about him. He had obviously assumed that she would think him a bastard and evil for attacking her so relentlessly. But he wondered in her silence if she had grasped the true nature of his character and those around her.

She sat only two seats in front of him in advanced transfigurations, staring out over the black lake with a small smile on her lips.

He desperately wanted to know what made her smile and knew that he would have to double his efforts to learn of her secrets.

Once the class was over he made his way towards her but his path was blocked by Alphard who had placed himself in front of her.

With one graceful turn Riddle headed for the door, hands in his pockets before he could hex the buffoon. 

It would only be a matter of time before he forced her into submission he just wished it hadn't become the same goal as the others.

######

Eviena couldn't keep focused with the black lake looming so close and knowing that the kelpie was awaiting her.

When she finally decided to concentrate on the lesson she was surprised to see that the room was half empty and the rest of the students were packing up.

"Eviena." A quiet familiar voice said.

She looked up to see Alphard.

He quickly took a seat, and ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"I know you don't talk, for anyone but please listen." He said quickly.

Eviena wasn't sure why she nodded but she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"I'm sorry for yesterday. She's just a friend. I'm really not like that I'm just going through some things and…"

He attempted to put his hand on top of hers but she pulled away.

With a nod she got up from the table and proceeded to walk away only to be caught by the hand.

"I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness but please just…just don't hate me." he said with a bowed head.

Eviena looked at him for a hard moment before gently pulling her hand away.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and nodded, eliciting a smile from him. But before he had a chance to take anything a step further, she left the room.

She didn't know quite what to make of his apology. She didn't see much to apologize for. Eviena had never felt the way a Vela did about a boy, she wasn't sure she even could. Still at the moment she had something to be happy about, she was a fairy. And that was enough to keep her occupied.

As she turned the corner she soon saw someone she wished to avoid but he was much quicker that he looked.

"Hello Eviena." Professor Slughorn said.

She gave a stiff nod and tried to walk around him but he was much larger up close.

"You know your marks are quite superb in my class and as one of the brightest students here, I would like to extend an invite to the Slug Club."

He handed her a gold lettered invitation and strolled away.

"The dress code is informal, see you tomorrow." He called out.

She looked down at the invitation in dread. Who on earth would want to be a part of something called the Slug Club?


	8. I Know Your Secrets

Eviena pounded on the wooden door until her hands went numb. She could hear their voices, one of which had haunted her memory for a very long time.

"Tell me, when you told your husband you had fairy blood running through your veins, did you tell him of the object you kept?" Grindlewald

"You know where they reside, you know what magic they keep. And I want it!"

"I turned my back on them and have no memory of what you speak." Her mother said in a trembling voice.

"Then you and your family serve no use to me. Aveda Kedavra!" He roared in anger, the green light striking her mother.

In desperation, she began to thrash against the wardrobe until the doors gave way. With a sickening splash she fell into the pool of blood but there were no bodies surrounding her, no men or plushy stuff animals.

The blood hardened around her, trapping her. She tried to scream but no words came out. Panic seized her as the darkness began to creep over her. There was no Tom to save her or any bodies to keep her company. She was utterly alone.

With a start, Eviena bolted from her bed and on shaky legs ran to the bathroom. As she heaved over the toilet she couldn't stop her body from violently shaking. Tears stung at her eyes and when she had finally gotten over her heaving spell, she crumbled onto the floor and stared at the wall.

The happiness she had experienced days before after her meeting with the kelpie had dissipated and now she was left reliving painful memories on the bathroom floor.

It had been so long since she had experienced a dream such as this one. The bodies and blood she had gotten used to, the darkness was something she had learned to accept. But to be alone, so completely and utterly alone was something she still feared no matter how much she tried to hide it.

Eviena was no fool and in fact knew she had no one to rely on. Her aunt was a wreck, her uncle was just biting his time until the right moment to pounce on her, Vela was emotionally draining, and she had given up on Alphard a long time ago. Butto _know_ you are alone is one thing, to _feel_it is something different entirely.

She felt anxious and breathing became harder by the second. She tugged and pulled at her hair as the invisible force around her chest tightened. This feeling was too much to take. She had never thought she would miss Tom's presence in her dreams, or at all. But she was truly frightened by the feelings that dream had stirred within her.

She threw off her clothes and turned on the shower. With the cold water beating down upon her she sunk down to the floor of the shower and tried to get a hold of herself.

She reached up and attempted to grab the bar of soap from the small shelf just above her head, but on accident knocked over a glass bottle of rose scented shampoo. Eviena flinched as the glass shattered around her.

After a moment she looked down at her thigh and saw a thin red line on her thigh and a piece of glass laying near the wound. Eviena looked at the new cut, it was small and barely noticeable when compared to the healed over cuts on her inner thighs.

It had been so long since she had looked at them up close. She couldn't deny the twinge of shame she felt for inflicting such wounds on herself but all at once that shame came to an abrupt freeze when she remembered what each cut had meant to her.

After the death of her parents' the catatonic state she had been involuntarily thrown shifted into something inexplicable; something stifling, suffocating beyond imaginable. With each practiced cut, she felt everything she resented flow from her body.

She couldn't see it but she was sure the numbness and feeling of no control was freed from her body with each slice; momentarily cleansing her from such feelings.

Eviena picked up a small shard and stared at it. She had not inflicted intentional pain upon herself since she had taken up cello, in fact it was because of the distraction cello provided that she hadn't cut. But she wasn't sure if the Bach concertos would be enough this time.

Before she could act on impulse with the shard of glass in her hand, someone began to bang on the door.

Eviena crawled out of the shower and through back on her night clothes, not bothering to grab a towel. She quickly fixed the glass bottle of soap, and opened the door to escape.

In her haste the person who was so desperate to get into the bathroom Preva, knocked into her and collapsed in front of the toilet heaving.

"What are you staring at you frigid bitch." She hissed before her face completely disappeared into the toilet.

Eviena shut the door and walked back over to her trunk where she quickly readied for the day. It was almost 7 so breakfast would begin soon.

As for Preva, she could not have cared less.

The great hall was nearly empty when she arrived, except for a few professors and a student or two at her table, she sat alone.

That sickening emptiness continued to waft over her and she had lost hold of her surroundings, her only thoughts sending her into a deeper stupor than she thought possible.

Eviena barely felt his hand envelop hers but the pressure he exerted was painful.

"Let go." He said in a low strained voice from behind her.

Eviena looked up at him and then at their hands. She had the blade of a buttering knife pressed between her fingers, the blade digging into her flesh. Small drops of blood where dripping on the table.

With one last look at him she released the knife.

He grabbed a napkin and sat down beside her, wrapping the finger in the white linen. He opened the cloth and surveyed the damage, she could see it was deeper than the well practiced cuts on her thigh.

"You need to go to the infirmary." He said quietly.

Eviena pulled her hand away but made no movement.

With that response he grabbed her bag and pulled her from the hall. "It will get infected."

She followed him in a slight daze. Until they came to the infirmary.

"Tom." A portly woman chirped in a light bulgarian accent. "And who is this lovely girl?"

"Her name is Eviena, she's cut her finger." He said in a collected voice.

"Oh, well that is no good come take a seat. And here." The healer handed her a tissue as she undid the napkin and surveyed the damage. "Dry your tears, I know its painful, such a deep cut. You children must be careful with those steak knives."

Eviena touched her face and felt the moisture dripping from her eyes. She hadn't realized she was still crying, but then again she didn't even realize she had almost severed her index finger.

The old woman with her grey hair tossed in a messy bun atop her head, was stick thin with a gaunt face but friendly smile.

The woman shuffled off and returned a few moments later with a small bottle of amber filled liquid. She dropped a small drop of the liquid onto the cut and instantly the wound cooled and then healed itself.

"You see, all better."

Eviena nodded in thanks and turned back to Tom who still had her bag.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone." The woman said before turning away.

"Thank you Madame Borjik." Tom said with a charming smile.

Tom turned with a flourish and left the infirmary, making Eviena chase after him to keep in step with his long stride.

She reached out to grab her bag but before she could get a good hold he grabbed her hand and swung her into a small empty hallway, pressing her against a wall.

His hand slid gently up her skirt and straight up her thigh. "You did these, all of these. Didn't you?" he hissed.

"I thought I had it all wrong but after seeing your breakfast display I know I'm right."

Eviena looked up at him in awe, no one knew, who would suspect her of it. She felt the tears form but did nothing to keep them at bay.

"Why?" he asked in a low controlled voice.

Eviena felt something building in the back of her throat, she wasn't sure if it was a word or a scream but she refused to let it go.

He leaned in close, his lips grazing her ear. "Tell me." he hissed.

She saw the anger and confusion in his face but what was there to say. Even if she could she didn't think he would understand.

She turned as she heard some people enter the corridor. It had been two 4th year Ravenclaws, who immediately began to giggle when the saw Tom and Eviena.

Tom straightened up and greeted them with a smile. "This is not over." He said, handing her her bag and leaving the hall.

Eviena waited for him to leave and then crumbled down the wall. She didn't really know how her day could get worse until she remembered the slug party that was to take place that afternoon.

That thought only brought about more unwanted tears and a headache.

####

Tom watched her carefully in their potions class, thankful the lesson was a lecture and not something that involved cutting.

She seemed so lost within her thoughts and her eyes were still pink from crying. He had never seen her in such a deteriorated state. If he had been the one to inflict the damage he may have been less inclined to care but to intentionally wound oneself was absolutely unheard of.

He studied her intently but she barely moved.

"Can anyone name the potion that can temporarily alter ones appearance for a short amount of time. Let's see…Eviena." He called out with a smile until his eyes fell upon her appearance.

She looked up at him and then back down at her hands.

Tom wanted to hex the buffoon, even in a normal state she wouldn't have spoken. Now he was drawing attention to her and he could see it was making her uncomfortable.

Slughorn quickly saw the error of his ways and quickly called on another but the damage was already done. Eviena slowly gathered her things and exited the classroom without hesitation.

No one spoke until she was gone from the room and as much as Tom wished to follow her he did not even as the class discussion resumed.

He did not know what to do. There was no textbook answer, no source to look up. He was at a complete loss as to how to fix her.

Her green eyes were devoid of emotion and he hadn't the faintest clue as to what was the cause. Of course Tom had watched her since her arrival to the school, but he had not been the only boy to do so and he was always leery that someone would be stupid enough to try something with her. But at the present the eyes of others were not his concern, she was.

The moment class ended Tom swept from the classroom and began to search for her. It was the first time he had ever skipped class but he viewed it as a small price to pay for finding Eviena before she did something beyond repair.

It was lunch time when he thought to look in her dorm room.

He opened the door gently and proceeded into the room. He was unsure of what bed was hers until her smell flooded his lungs. The sweet smell of rose petals, the crispness of a winter day, and something else Tom could not quite place his finger on but knew id it was more potent he would have been drunk off the scent.

Tom pulled back the curtains of her bed but found nothing. In frustration he picked up her pillow and threw it to the foot of the bed.

He spun around and sat down on the bed, his hand falling on a small book. He read the cover and flicked through the pages of Elsie the sprite. For a children's book he found the monsters the green fairy faced a little more frightening than a kids book required. Even by his tastes. Kelpies, hobgoblins, and banshees just to name a few.

The door opened and Tom pulled his legs onto the bed and shut the curtains, listening to the two people who had just entered the room.

"You said you were covered!"Alphard shouted.

"I thought I was." Preva whimpered.

Tom peaked through the curtains and saw Preva sitting on her bed and Alphard a few feet away from her, pacing.

"What are we going to do Alphie?"

"I have a marriage contract, we can't do this." he answered, running a shaky hand through his hair.

Preva stood up and slapped him hard across the face. "You get me pregnant and you have the nerve to bring that bitch up to me. There is no marriage contract, she does not speak, she does not even spare you a passing glance."

She went to slap him again but he caught her hand and pushed her against bedpost. "Just be quiet." He hissed.

He released her and she began to cry harder. "Your marriage contract doesn't exist, because she doesn't want it so. But if we just went to our parents they would understand."

Preva looked up at him, desperate for comfort. Tom thought it all rather pathetic of her.

"You can't have this baby." He said quietly.

"And what am I to do. I won't kill it." she cried.

"You haven't got a choice. If you don't do something about it then I will."

He walked towards the door but stopped just short of leaving.

"I can't do it. If you make me, I will tell her."

"It would destroy you. No decent pureblood would have you. Even you aren't stupid enough to risk that."

Alphard left the dorm and Preva fell on her bed and continued to sob.

Tom cast a quick spell so that he would go unnoticed and snuck out the room, leaving the book in its place.

He had never known Alphard to be so heartless and in fact he never thought him capable of it. But now that he had seen that darker side, he would be sure to extend an invite to him when he found a suitable place to recruit death eaters without suspicion. But first he needed to find _her._

A few hours had passed and there was no trace of her. The owlery, bathrooms, classrooms, the kitchens, even the astronomy tower and no trace of her.

The clock struck 6 and Tom knew it was time to get ready for the foolish Slug Party.

He had planned on inviting her, but now he would be going alone and in a very foul mood.

"Ah Tom m'boy." Slughorn boomed placing an arm around his shoulders the moment he entered the room.

The parties always took place in his office, and tonight there was a large dining table and a few older men that Tom did not recognize.

"This boy here Scrimgeour, he's going to change the world the brain on him." Slughorn laughed.

A tall skeletal man with dark hair and gloomy disposition, bowed his head in greeting to Tom.

"Muggleborn?"

"Halfblood." Tom corrected. He was sure he would kill the man in the future for such an insult.

"Oh, well it was a pleasure." Scrimgeour said before turning away and walking over to an older man with a nasty look on his face.

"And where is Eviena. Is she uh…feeling any better." Slughorn asked, pulling Tom's attention away from his daydreams of hexing the man.

"I wouldn't know sir." Tom said with a polite smile.

"Well that is a shame. Well go on and mingle, a lot of good connections around here make good use of them."

Slughorn slapped him hard on the back and Tom had to keep from rounding and punching the old man.

An hour after his arrival they sat to eat. Nothing special Tom thought with a grimace, he assumed they were remnants of what had been served in the Great Hall during regular mealtime.

"A pity Snow White couldn't grace us with her presence." Abraxas hissed in Tom's direction.

Tom's eyebrow rose and he schooled his face into a blank mask. "I don't know who you are referring too."

"Of course you do." he said with a little snicker.

Slughorn was too immersed to listen to Tom and Malfoy so Tom did not hold back.

"You should keep your eyes in your head and your tongue in your mouth Malfoy, or I may take the liberty of cutting them out."

"You don't scare me Riddle."

"Really? Then I really will have to step up my efforts. Nothing but the best for you Malfoy. Maybe sometime in the near future I can give you a little swimming lesson in the black…"

Tom pushed away from the table and made for the door, ignoring Slughorn's inquiries. He walked at a quicker pace than usual through the corridors and the grounds of the school. It was out cold and the moon shined brightly overhead, the light it cast reflecting off of her skin as she sat at the edge of the lake.

Before reason could take hold he grabbed her roughly by the arms and forced her onto unsteady feet. "Do you know how long I searched for you?" he nearly shouted.

Her face had no color and her lips were white.

"I thought you were going to ki…"

He released her arms and took a few steps away. Why did he care? He shouldn't have cared. Where had these emotions come from and why was she constantly the cause of them.

She looked at him before walking away, leaving her school bag in the ground.

Tom couldn't gain control of his breathing and his hand itched for his wand to relieve the tension.

He whipped around and yelled at her.

"Don't you walk away from me!"

But despite the threat in his words she continued her trek to the castle.

Tom reached into the pocket of his cloak but instead of finding his wand his fingers were greeted with the soft material of a napkin.

He pulled it out and stared at it, it was covered in her blood from earlier that day. He let out a frustrated growl and threw it into the lake.

"You can't run from me!"

Tom looked over the calm waters and tried to get a hold of himself. If he wanted to he could run after her, but that would be weakness and he refused the action.

The waters in front of him began to bubble and he took a step away from them and drew his wand.

In awe he watched as a large black horse rose from the waters and took a few steps towards him.

"_Well this is an interesting gift, much better than the one I suggested."_

"_You're in my mind?"_

"_A gift of the fey."_

Tom took another step back but did not fire a spell.

"_What are talking about."_

"_Eviena, haven't you noticed that she is different, not like you, powerful. It is because she keeps a secret."_

"_And what make that be?"_

Tom tried to break eye contact but was unable to do so, he was mesmerized by the beast.

"_What is she?"_

"_Get on my back and I will show you."_

The horse lowered its front legs and shook its black mane. _"You could be just as powerful as her, if come with me."_

Tom dropped his wand and walked over to the beast and climbed on its back. He could hear a voice inside of his head screaming for him to stop the action but he did not listen.

The horse began its trek back into the water and began to sink back below the depths.

Before Tom's head could go completely under he heard a loud clear voice screaming his name. It was her. It was Eviena.

A/N: Please forgive any typos or errors, I've recently finished my first novel and have been working on polishing that. Thank you guys for all of the reviews. They are all appreciated.


	9. The Beginning of an Inevitable End

Eviena stared out over the lake, forcing her thoughts away from the memories that if left unchecked, would lead to an immediate breakdown. She hated what her nightmares could do to her, the way they could affect her.

For some reason or another, she had convinced herself that if she could keep breathing she was winning the unseen battle that raged within her mind. But she hadn't won, her demons had only lured her into a false sense of security only to reemerge when she thought herself safe.

She ran her thumb along her fingers, feeling the place where she had cut herself earlier. If it had not been for Tom she wondered who would have found her. Another student maybe? A ghost? Or worse, a teacher?

Eviena knew not to feel lucky that it was the secretive Tom Riddle and not another. He may not have sent her away to a crazy house like the school would have after discovering her cutting, but Tom was dangerous.

She could see it floating in his eyes, the coldness, the calculating and malicious thoughts. He was an open book for anyone willing to look past the cover. Unfortunately for her the words within his book were dark, too dangerous to be spoken out loud.

But she knew there was nothing left to do now that he knew her secret. She could only hope that the end of the story would end on an okay note.

A wind blew in from over the water and Eviena couldn't help the shiver that struck her body. She had been rooted to the spot since her departure from Slughorn's class and moving was at the moment not inclined to move, even as it grew colder.

It had only been two days since she had met the kelpie but that was a memory she chose to avoid for a moment. If she couldn't give him something of value, then he would tell her nothing. And then she would be stuck in a world that she didn't feel a part of. She wanted a way out, she needed a way out. But at the moment the only thing she could do was sit and fester in her thoughts.

"Do you know how long I searched for you?" he nearly shouted as he pulled her by the arms.

Eviena tried to find her footing but her legs felt numb. His face was red and his eyes were wide with rage.

"I thought you were going to ki…"

He stumbled back and stared at her. And she could do nothing but stare back in return. Had he honestly thought she end her life? She may have been upset at the moment but she wasn't ready to give up the fight just yet.

Why would he care? No one cared…

He was breathing heavily and his hand was twitching. She could feel something deep within her, longing for him to touch her again. Save her from herself like he had done before. But these feelings were dangerous and she refused to entertain them.

Eviena averted her gaze and headed towards the castle, refusing to look back.

"Don't you walk away from me!" He screamed.

But she didn't look back.

"You can't run from me!"

Eviena shivered at the threat in his voice. He knew her secrets and because of that her only choice was to run from him.

She had just made it to the door, her hand on the knob when an all too familiar voice invaded her mind.

"_Thank You._"

Her head whipped around in the direction of the lake. The kelpie's voice had been so clear in her mind that there was no mistaking them.

She searched frantically for the creature. Her eyes looking with his, just as it turned back towards the water…with Tom on its back.

The kelpie gave a loud neigh and galloped away.

Before fear could overcome her she raced towards them not sure what she would do, but knowing that she could not allow Tom to die. He may have been an evil bastard but she would not be the cause of his murder.

A strangled scream came from her lips and his head turned slightly in her direction. His eyes were glassed over and there was no expression on his face.

"T-t-….TOM!" she finally managed.

The Kelpies head was already submerged but Tom's was still above the water.

"STOP, TOM! He's going to kill you!

She paused at the bank of the water as he turned around completely and looked at her. His eyes no longer foggy and a look of panic on his face.

"No!" Eviena bent down and grabbed the pale wand next to her feet, diving into the water and swimming towards the spot she watched his disappear.

She swam furiously before taking a deep breath and diving under the murky waters.

Tom's wand was resistant to her but soon it gave her enough light to see bubbles rising directly in front of her.

She drove further down and reached her hand out, feeling the tips of his fingers. With a little bit of reach she grabbed his wrist and pulled furiously.

"_This one is mine_." The kelpie hissed.

"_No. He's mine_."

Eviena aimed a stunning spell into the darkness where she thought the kelpies head resided and the resistance against Tom's body was immediately lifted and she began swimming to the surface.

They broke through the surface. Tom was unconscious and Eviena struggled to keep him a float. She turned him on his back and began thinking of a spell that would make this easier but before she could cast one teeth clamped down onto her ankle and pulled her down.

"_You will drown in his place Halfling_."

In surprise she screamed out, releasing the rest of the air from her lungs and Tom's wand.

She attempted to kick but her actions were useless.

His teeth dug deep, shattering the bones within her ankle. At this new pain she began to violently thrash, doing anything to shake it loose.

A dark blur dived passed her and the water illuminated in a bright green light.

Something wrapped around her waist and pulled her to the surface. She looked at him with wide eyes as he pulled her to the shore. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a handkerchief floating along side her.

He scooped up her bag but said nothing. Tom refused to look at her as they walked slowly towards the school. His wet hair clung to his forehead and his face was completely blank.

She didn't know what to do but at the moment the pain radiating from her ankle was so severe that gritting her teeth to keep from screaming was her primary focus.

His body shook beneath his cloak and she waited with bated breath for him to collapse.

He directed her up the stairs until they reached the sixth floor and came across a solid wall. They stood in front of it for a few moments before Tom let out a frustrated growl.

"Work damn you." he hissed, anger clearly displayed in his features.

The stones began to shift and a door appeared. He steered her into the room and onto a very large bed draped and covered in black and green linens. There was a table with a potion viles and a small book sat next to them.

He allowed her to sit on the bed and then came back with three potion viles. He placed her bag down on the side of him and kneeled before her. His eyes squinted and he shook his head as if dazed.

Tom gently slid her shoe off and discarded it. He then reached up and pulled her knee high sock off, the black material dripping blood.

"I heard you. You said my name." he said quietly.

She continued to look down at him but said nothing.

"I know what I heard. I remember what that creature, that kelpie said to me. He knew you."

Tom increased the pressure around her ankle. His fingers digging into her wound.

"Tell me why you know that creature." He hissed.

Eviena whimpered at the pain her chest fell forward, her hand clamping onto his shoulder to keep her upwards and giving her a diversion from the pain.

"SPEAK!"

"S-s-top." She whispered. "Sstop it now."

She tried to pull her ankle away but it only increased the pain.

"Why does it know you? They aren't supposed to exist."

His nails clamped down and a dangerous look overcame him.

"He's helping me."

"Do what?"

She turned away. Afraid of what she might reveal.

"Tell me." he growled.

"I won't Tom. This is one secret not meant for you." she answered quietly.

Eviena never thought she would speak so many words in one sentence ever again, it was apparent to her that she had underestimated her own abilities.

"And why not?"

"Because… it almost killed you."

Tom looked up at her with a startled expression but said nothing else. He handed her two viles and she drank each one with little hesitation. She figured nothing worse could happen.

The first potion healed the skin around her ankle and the second one relieved the pain.

He tapped his wand to her ankle and she felt her bones rearranging themselves before a white bandage appeared and wrapped itself tightly around her ankle.

She was quickly overcome with drowsiness and her arm buckled under her weight, causing her head to fall onto his shoulder.

"Sleepiness is a side effect." He said as he moved her onto the bed.

He went to move away but she caught his arm. "I really am sorry."

"Stop fighting the potion." He said with little inflection in his voice. But he did not pull his hand away.

Eviena looked at him through sleepy eyes. "Don't go."

A black chair materialized behind him and he sat down in it, gently pulling his hand away.

He said nothing, just watched her.

Her vision blurred and her limbs felt heavy. His hands trembled but she made no mention of it. In a single day her life at Hogwarts had been completely turned on its head but to think of all that now would have been foolish and so she went to sleep.

She figured if Tom had poisoned her, then it was too late to do anything about it. So she slept.

####

Tom's head throbbed and his body shook. But he did not remove himself from the chair until she was asleep.

He made his way over to the table and downed three viles of a bitter blue liquid. His vision was a bit off but it was the shaking that concerned him.

Other than a headache there was nothing physically wrong with him. He shook out of anger and something much worse, fear.

If she had not been there, he would drown. Died at the mercy of a beast he never thought existed. Death, the one and only thing he was truly weary of had almost claimed him.

Tom slammed his fists on the table and a few of potions fell over but she remained undisturbed.

He picked up the book he had taken from the library and flicked it open to a dog-eared page. He had yet to find anything substantial other than a single sentence which affirmed his suspicion that a horacrux creation was possible but nothing as to how to make one.

He could no longer afford to be patient. As much as he disliked to think about it he was very close to death and if she hadn't been there he would be floating around in the black lack about now.

The potion began to take effect but they shaking continued. He walked over to the bed and laid down a good ways away from her. He murmured a quick spell to dry their clothes and hair and another to remove their cloaks.

With hands folded on his chest, he stared up at the ceiling until the potion overcame him.

When he awoke she was on her side staring at him, her eyes were puffy and red. He assumed she had been crying.

"Are you in pain?"

She shook her head and continued to stare.

"How long have you been staring at me."

Eviena shrugged and continued to stare.

"You know, you can't speak after years of silence and then pretend it never happened."

"With you I can't."

A smirk formed on his lips. "You are just racking up the secrets."

She pulled herself up and sat against the headboard. And looked at him with a very serious look on her face.

"The kelpie…you killed it didn't you?"

"Yes. You would have died if I hadn't."

She let out a long sigh and he saw more tears form.

"Should I have left you to die?" he asked.

"No, but…its complicated."

"I'm sure I could follow."

She looked down at her hands and began playing with her fingers.

"The kelpie had knowledge that I wanted."

"What knowledge? Was it worth me almost dying?"

Eviena's head snapped up.

"You kept a handkerchief with my blood, you summoned him by accident."

"Answer the question." He demanded.

"No, I won't. You may have saved my life but I saved yours too."

"I think I may have liked you better when you were silent." He hissed.

He would find out eventually why she knew the creature, but now that she was speaking he figured he would get some answers to her other mysteries.

"Does the kelpie have anything to do with your cutting?"

"No." she said abruptly.

"Then why would you harm yourself?"

She looked down and her cheeks turned red. "You wouldn't understand."

After a moment of silence, he too sat up. He pulled her chin up so that she was unable to look down.

"I know that you do it, there is no harm in telling me why. If anything it could keep me from telling someone."

"You have no friends." She responded.

He couldn't suppress the smirk that formed on his lips or the abrupt laugh that he knew sounded more maniacal than he intended it to.

"You're right, but then again, you have none either. So tell me."

"I'm a masochist."

"No you are not. Do not toy with me." he growled.

She took his hand and held it.

"It's a distraction."

"From what?"

"Everything." She said in barely a whisper.

"And what would a rich brat be so hurt about."

Eviena let go of his hand and he wasn't sure if she was going to slap him or cry.

"It never occurred to anyone that seeing my parents slaughtered in front of me would have a long lasting effect. No one asked me if I was okay they all just left me." she said quietly.

"I find that hard to believe that no one talked to you."

"They did, they asked me what happened that night and when I wouldn't speak they decided to leave me be until I did. And then they forgot all about it."

He stared at her and watched as she held herself together.

"You should hurt the people that caused the pain, not yourself. That's just foolish." He snapped.

"Stop attempting to simplify the problem just because you don't understand it. I don't cut because of them. I do it because it's a pain that I have control over. The nightmares the memories are something I don't stand a chance against."

"So you create one pain to combat another?"

Tom watched her nod but she said nothing. He was more interested in the kelpie than this but he liked the information he was gaining and a small part of him feared that if he stopped talking to her then she wouldn't speak another word to him.

Eviena was much more interesting than any other girl he had encountered. Even if he wanted to ignore her, he knew his natural curiosity wouldn't allow him to.

"Does your family know?" he asked quietly.

"I live with my aunt and her husband. If I told them they would think I was crazy. I can't have my aunt think I'm mad, not with her husband breathing down my neck."

On impulse he grabbed her roughly by the arms and brought her to within an inch of his face.

"Has he touched you?" he hissed, anger boiling within him.

"Why do you care?" she asked, her green eyes staring directly into his.

"Because no one is allowed to hurt you." Tom growled.

"No one but you, right?"

His grip loosened. She was right he supposed, he did want her, he wanted to possess every fiber of her being. He shouldn't have cared, but he did, and he was too tired to pretend otherwise.

"If I wanted to see you hurt I would have done it already."

"What do you call digging your fingernails into my ankle?"

"Utilizing my resources to gain answers."

A small smile appeared on her face. "How are you different from them?"

"Because I would protect you from everyone and everything…including yourself." he exclaimed, his breathing faster than normal.

"You can't protect people from themselves." She answered, a sense of hopelessness draped across each word.

"Watch me." he said through gritted teeth.

Tom found himself growing angry with her and removed himself from the bed to keep his anger in check. He didn't care for her doubting him.

He walked over to the table and stared down at his balled up fist.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked from the bed.

"Just stop talking." He grumbled.

He heard some movement from the bed but he refused to look at her. If she had fallen off the bed then it was her own fault.

"You are acting like a child, Riddle."

He spun around, ready to lash out at her but he was immediately silenced when she took his face in her hands. There was a look of hesitation in her eyes and her bottom lip was lodged between her teeth.

Eviena lowered her gaze and rose on her good foot. She gently pulled his face down towards her but did not kiss him. He felt the heat rising up his neck and hoped she would not notice that inevitable pinkness that had rose within his cheeks.

A moment that took seconds felt like hours to him.

"The girls are right, you are pretty enough to be a woman." She said after a moment of study.

"How dare you…" he grabbed her hands roughly and was ready to unleash his anger but before he could finish his sentence…

She kissed him.

**A/N: To be continued in the very near future. I promise that the I will update more and please prepare yourself for some fairy antics and a faster pace.**


	10. Pumpkin Pastries and Repercussions

Eviena sat next to Vela and listened to her go over the details of her costume for the Halloween ball that was to take place in two weeks. They sat in the abandoned astronomy tower, overlooking the lake. Although the original goal was to prepare for the upcoming transfiguration exam, Vela made it impossible to focus.

Eviena figured this was all for the better, seeing as when she was alone with her thoughts they turned to Riddle, and how she nearly re-broke her ankle running away from him the night of the kelpie incident.

_She had just closed the gap between her and Riddle's lips when his hands slipped from hers and moved to her head._

_She felt warm, and her heart beat rapidly within her chest. Although she would not admit it out loud, she liked the way it felt when kissing him. His lips were colder than hers and more demanding. One hand left her hair and moved to her waist while the hand left pulled on her tresses with great force._

_With her body flush against his, she felt herself relax within his grip but the pressure he exuded on her body did not lesson. He began to push her body backwards until her knees hit the edge of the bed._

_He placed his hands around her thighs and gently lifted her to place her on the bed. Tom resumed kissing her, forcing her mouth open with his. His hands traveled up her sides until they were back in her hair._

"_Legilimens." He hissed, staring directly into her eyes. _

_Eviena knew immediately what that spell was meant to do and tried desperately to throw him off of her but he was too heavy. _

"_Stop!" she screamed, but it was too late. She could feel his magic, heavy and dark, digging through her memories pulling away each carefully built barrier. _

_With him so close and his concentration unshaken even by her thrashing, she was all but defenseless. Her mind so consumed by panic that thinking clearly was beyond her._

_Eviena shut her eyes tight and tried to rebuild her defenses but he was stronger and more ferocious than she was prepared for._

_She saw everything he saw. The last happy moments she spent with her parents on the beach, their death, their funeral, her own birthday parties that she herself never attended, her first meeting with him. He pulled at invaded every memory big or small, looking for something. _

_And then it was there, what he had searched for._

_Eviena saw the kelpies face and heard random snippets of their conversation. Unable to clear her mind and shut him out, she pulled back the one memory he had kept away from. _

_She focused in on his face as it sunk below the black lake. His terrified expression, the way he thrashed against the water were becoming clearer in her mind and she continued to replay the moments until she felt his magic retracting._

_He pulled back and . His breathing was slightly erratic and she could feel his eyes on her but she chose to focus on the ruffled bed linens. There was nothing left for her to hide, he now knew everything. And she no longer felt safe within his arms._

_Eviena scooted from underneath him and they stared at each other._

"_I saw what you were hiding." he said quietly._

_She removed herself from the bed and picked up her bag and cloak. Her hands trembled and the weight she placed on her ankle was painful but she didn't let it show._

_He was now sitting on the bed looking at her with a perplexed expression. _

"_No one will believe you." she told him. Her voice cold and detached. _

"_But I know everything." He hissed. _

_With those words she headed for the door, only stopping when her hand was placed on the handle._

_She looked over her shoulder. "I should have let you drowned." She breathed out._

_She left the room without further delay. Tears poured from her eyes as she sprinted to the dungeons. Her pain momentarily forgotten as she came to terms with what had just happened. Eviena didn't feel betrayed. She felt violated and what was worse, she felt responsible for allowing him so much access, for not fighting harder._

_That night she didn't sleep, just replayed the nights events over and over again in her mind. There was nothing left to do but accept the consequences of letting Riddle too close and vow to herself to never let it happen again._

"V, which one?" Vela held up two pictures. The first picture was of a witch twirling around in a red Grecian gown. The back dropped into a low –v and the strap was braided and started at one shoulder and traveled beneath her breast and to the other shoulder. There was also a slit that Eviena was sure would not be approved of by her modest aunt if she saw it.

The other picture was of a red headed witch in a white tunic that stopped at the knees with a gold cord tied around the waist. There was a halo floating above her heads and the white wings fluttered as she spun around.

"Sooo, tell me what one you think I would look best in?" Vela asked with an uncertain expression.

She held the pictures a little closer to Eviena's face and waved them a bit. Although Eviena really didn't understand her excitement over a holiday she had never partaken in, she played along and chose the one she thought prettiest. After all Vela was always kind to her, she didn't deserve to have Eviena flake out.

"Really? You think I could pull this one off?" Vela examined the red dress and smiled. "Okay, I'm going to have my mum buy it, it's much more Slytherin anyways. It'll make my mum proud."

Vela gave a large smile and Eviena returned it before staring out over the grounds.

"V…can I tell you something." Vela asked.

Eviena looked at the girl who looked close to tears and nodded.

"You are my only real friend here. Everyone in our house doesn't think I belong and so all I wanted to say is…even though you don't talk, if you ever needed anything I wouldn't turn you away."

Eviena placed her hand on Vela's. She was starting to feel bad for wasting her last words on that snake of man.

She quickly let go of Vela's hand and scribbled something down on a piece of parchment.

Vela took the offered paper and a wide smile came to her lips. "You are going to go to ball with me?"

Eviena nodded before Vela threw her arms around her. "Oh wow, Ev this is so great. I mean, I really didn't want to be alone."

"Ooo I know, its almost lunch time and then after that we have transfigurations, I'll go down and get us some sandwiches." Vela hopped up and shoved her bag under the bench they were sitting on.

"Be back soon, yeah." With those words Vela skipped down the stairs and Eviena couldn't help but feel a bit abandoned.

She wasn't sure if this new humanity suited her, but at this moment she needed a friend. Unfortunately for her, the secrets that were eating her up inside were not things she could share with Vela. Telling someone you are a masochistic fairy with antisocial tendencies, is not something that would go over well.

She heard upcoming footsteps and turned with a smile but it wasn't Vela.

"V" Alphard said in a surprised tone. "I mean, Eviena."

He looked at her with uncertainty and then walked over, leaning against the wall across from her next to the window.

"I came up here to get away but…how do you like Hogwarts?" he said with an uneasy smile.

Eviena nodded with a small smile.

"That asshole Riddle giving you grief?"

She looked away and then shook her head.

"Good, good." he nodded. "What are you doing up here?"

Eviena held up the two Halloween costumes and Alpphard took them.

"The red one, definitely."

She took the pictures back and shook her head.

"You aren't going, I take it."

Eviena stashed the pictures in Vela's bag.

"I talked to my mother, she said you aunt is pregnant. Congratulations."

Alphard sat down beside her, she knew there was a look of shock on her face.

"I'm sorry, I thought you knew."

Of course she didn't know, her aunt had sent her a letter or a package since she had arrived. Eviena hadn't sent any letters either but it wasn't exactly a secret that she felt forced into coming here. Maybe her aunt thought the baby would provide a new beginning, but why her aunt would want a new beginning with her mean spirited uncle was beyond her. Their relationship was something Eviena never understood and hoped to never have. To be so afraid of being alone as to settle with someone so poisonous to you just seemed wrong.

And then Riddle's face came to mind and she felt like a complete hypocrite for looking down on her desperate aunt.

"Remember when your parents took us to the ocean. It's one of my fondest memories. Especially when you thought the seaweed was attacking you. I thought I was something special saving you. Now I think the roles are a bit reversed." He sighed.

"I know I'm rambling, I just can't be anywhere around the members of my house."

Eviena studied his face for a moment. His dark eyes were cupped by purple bags and as he stared out over the black lake and he looked as if he was going to cry.

"I messed up V. I have no right to think you care, but…"

Eviena looked down at his hand which was balled in a fist and placed her hand on his fist. His fingers relaxed and he gave a small smile. When they were children this would always calm him down, she figured she'd give it a try.

"You know, its kind of cruel for you to do this, be nice to me and all."

She looked up and saw his face very close to hers. His eyes closed but before he could take advantage of the situation, his body was flung across the tower and hit the wall with a sickening thud, knocking him out cold.

Her head snapped in the direction of the door just as it shut. Within seconds she had her wand out and aimed at his face.

He on the other hand had lowered his wand and had a smirk on his face.

"You should lower your wand, your arm is going to tire." He said with a smile. "Besides, I don't plan on doing anything, but I can't have little boys scribbling with crayon all over my masterpiece."

He took a step closer and Eviena stood a little straighter.

"Are you even going to speak to me?"

She could see the anger boil inside of him and threw a stinging curse his way which he easily blocked.

"Now, that's not nice." He said through gritted teeth.

"Go away, Riddle."

"Such a sweet voice. This past week I have longed to hear it, but you seem so distant as of late. How is your ankle?"

Eviena sent another curse his way and Tom barely dodged it. She attempted send another one but he threw a counter curse at her and as she defended herself from it, he tackled her to the floor.

"Are you going to invade my mind again?" she said with a sneer.

"No, just stop thrashing." He grunted as she kneed him in the stomach.

"No."

"Will you just shut it! You do want me to help you find your fellow fairies don't you?"

She stopped struggling and removed herself from beneath him, grabbing her wand in the process.

"I want nothing to do with you."

"Well that's not up to you is it?"

She scoffed and stood up, he followed. Alphard began to stir but Tom threw a spell his way and he was knocked out again.

"Why would you help me?"

"The chance to infiltrate a mythical world would entice anyone." He answered.

"I made a mistake allowing you so close. I won't allow you to taint the only thing I have left." She snapped.

Eviena grabbed her and Vela's bag.

"This thing is mine. You can't have it, I won't let you."

"Very soon you will realize that the choice is not yours."

Eviena eyed the door and so did Tom. He reached out to grab her but she pulled back and made for the door, jumping over an unconscious Alphard.

She pulled open the door and saw an elated Vela prancing up the stairs.

"What's wrong?"

Eviena shook her head and pushed Vela back towards the castle. She wasn't sure why words came so easily with Riddle and not with others, at the moment it would have been much easier to tell Vela to be quiet and go before Riddle caught up to her, but her tongue wouldn't move to form the words.

When they had made it to the transfiguration room they sat down and Vela questioned her as to why she looked so angry, but she said nothing and just took her sandwich and pumpkin pastry from Vela. No one came into the room for another 15 minutes which left Vela ample time to take an in-depth examination of each of her costumes before being interrupted by a familiar voice.

"I myself think the angel is very pretty, and for a Slytherin, quite unique." Dumbledore said from behind them.

The girls turned around to see the tall wizard with his auburn and silver beard standing over them.

Vela looked down with a sullen expression. "You're right, a Slytherin shouldn't wear this. We are meant to be unique"

"On the contrary, I think you would look wonderful, and the last I checked your house doesn't define you." he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Vela shoved the pictures in her bag and pulled out a quill. "Oh what does he know."

Eviena looked from Dumbledore to Vela who sighed. "Who am I kidding, he knows everything."

Eviena couldn't keep the smile from her face and neither could Vela after a moment. Unfortunately this smile did not stay.

The class filled with Ravenclaws and Slytherins and Tom. Alphard was missing, but she didn't think him hurt, someone would find him eventually and Tom wouldn't kill another student. Would he?

Her breath caught as she thought about Alphard bleeding out on the floor but before panic could set in, he stumbled through the door, looking at Eviena through half closed eyes. His hand was clutching the back of his head but there was no blood. He looked confused but she didn't make further study when Malfoy turned his attention on her with a slimy smirk that made her skin crawl.

Eviena stared at him for a moment in disgust before the written exam appeared in front of them. Per usual she finished before the others and for the sake of finishing before Tom, only wrote a sentence or two for the last question. Before waving at Vela and dashing out of the classroom.

She couldn't bring herself to sit near the lake so she sat in the courtyard. The air was crisp and the clouds cast out the sun. The grass she sat in was losing its color and it wouldn't be long until it succumbed to the pressures of winter.

A nearby bush rustled and Eviena looked on with wide eyes as a small creature dressed in moss emerged. This was definitely not a creature in her text books. His skin looked like the bark of a tree and he had black eyes and a long nose. He had fine silver hair that was thin and had short fingers.

Eviena pulled her legs to her chest and grabbed her wand.

"You see me?" he limped closer and she scooted away.

"Ahhh, so you be the one my master speaks of. " he said in a thick Scottish accent. "Don't worry, Ghillie Dhu has been instructed not to harm. You ain't even pretty for me enough to try to kiss."

Eviena tried to invade his thoughts but he leapt at her and she couldn't keep her abrupt scream at bay.

"Don't you go trying to invade my mind. I don't know you."

"I…I'm sorry. What do you want?"

He hopped up on the bench. "First, you can lower that stick of yours, barbaric. You think you magical folk are so clever carrying around your _wands_. We don't need wands. But you know that don't you halfing?"

Eviena lowered her wand and sat up on her knees.

"You're a fairy?"

"You're not too bright." He scoffed.

"As interested as I am I will not allow you to insult me. I see enough of that at home." She retorted.

"You mean that aunt of yours?"

"You watch me?"

"Me no. But you know that they watch you, the kelpie told you."

Her eyes widened. "The kelpie…the kelpie's dead."

"I know." He said in a matter of fact way. "Didn't think you'd tell the truth, being human and all."

"Sometimes I can lie." She retorted. "Besides it wasn't my fault the Kelpie was going to kill me."

"So you killed him?"

"No." she snapped.

He leaned in close. "Then who?"

She leaned in a bit. Her green eyes reflecting in his black ones. "I won't say."

"Then who's to be punished for his death."

"It's my fault, as much as I hate the bastard who killed the horse. It was my blood that called the kelpie, I'll take responsibility."

She swallowed hard. She didn't want to die, she hoped the creature would be lenient.

"That's not how it works. If you don't tell me then my master will come."

"Who is your master?"

"That's not for you to know."

He sat back and looked at her back. "Is that a pumpkin pastry?" he asked.

"Yes."

"May I have it?"

"Only if you tell me who I am, does my family still exist? And when will your master come?" she asked eagerly.

"If I told, I would be in trouble with my master." He said with squinty eyes. "You want that halfing?"

"You know my name, use it. And no I don't want that." she said, handing him the pastry which he gobbled down. She accepted the no he had just given her and thought of other questions to ask.

"It could be sweeter Eviena."

"I didn't make it."

"Oh yes, the elvvvves." He drawled. "Stupid creatures. If I had to make wizards food, I'd poison it."

She crossed her legs and smiled. "I'm sure you'd be a lousy cook."

He finished licking his fingers and glared at her. "If I tried, I'd be alright. But you don't cook either. Don't play that cello of yours either."

Eviena wanted to feel violated, but to be honest Riddle invading her mind felt more intrusive than the gnome in front of her scoping out her bras.

"Why do you alls spy on me?"

"Can't say."

"Do you spy on all Halflings?"

"Nope. Got anymore pastries." He said, eyeing her bag.

She reached deep inside and found a few candy pieces that had fallen to the bottom of her bag.

"They are all linty." She said, offering them to him.

"Don't care. You humans are too fussy."

"You know, if you don't spy on everyone, just me, then there's a reason for it isn't there."

"You'll find out soon enough."

"How?"

"When my master comes to you."

"When?"

"Soon enough. You don't want to be too eager to meet my master."

"How come?" She said in anger.

"My master is the fiercest warrior the unseelie court has to offer. Of course he was seelie at force but they beat that out of him." He said with pride.

"Am I seelie or unseelie?"

"Neither."

He hoped off the bench.

"Wait, don't go."

"Wizards come this way. I must go."

She grabbed his tiny hand before he could flee into the bushes.

"When does your master come? What will he do to me?"

"I'm not going to tell, now let go."

Eviena thought quickly. "I'll leave you a basket full of candy, in three days time after my Hogsmeade trip. But you have to tell me on that day when he comes."

"Will there be more pumpkin pastries?" his eyes widened and he licked his lips with a green tongue.

"I thought you didn't like them?"

"I said they weren't sweet enough." he responded in a manner that made her feel like she had asked a stupid question.

Eviena's ears perked up as she heard voices grow louder.

"Fine, they'll be there."

She let go of his hand and ran into a bush.

"_Oh and one final thought. My master says beware the snake."_

The creatures voice invaded her mind and Eviena shuddered. She didn't need to think very hard to know who the snake was.

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews. They definitely give motivation! Oh yes and as always, ignore the typos and such.**

**Next Time: Hogsmeade, Malfoy, Halloween, and the Master**


	11. The Hogsmeade Babysitter

"Now it has come to my attention that you are exhibiting behavior that is of a harmful nature." Dippet said quickly as he glanced from his papers to her.

Slughorn sat to the left of her and Tom sat to her right. They were all in the headmasters office, with candles burning around them and a fire crackling at her back. Eviena figured Tom would do something to her, but she never thought he'd stoop so low. Or that a meeting would take place so late.

"Yes Eviena, to inflict harm upon yourself is something that we cannot stand idly by and watch." Slughorn chimed in.

A huff of air escaped her lips and she had to fight an eye roll. Tom on the other hand was battling a smirk that was threatening his otherwise unaffected expression. At that very moment Eviena wondered how he would take it if he knew that she was the only thing that stood between him and the "master" a fairy who sought out retribution for the kelpies death.

"Do you deny that you have recently and in the past inflicted harm to yourself?" Dippet asked.

Eviena attempted to shake her head and lie but her body refused the action so she just continued to look at him. She could have spoken to defend herself, but Dippet didn't take girl students seriously and he was far more interested in whatever was on his desk than her. Slughorn was useless and would just go along with Dippet for fear of severing a social connection. She had no one.

Even if she did lie, her body didn't hold modification charms well and they would surely find out. She was trapped.

"Now we have sent a letter to your aunt and uncle and you will likely receive a reply later today. Our only desire is your safety." The feeble looking old man continued.

Eviena wanted to scoff but she remained silent. She couldn't deal with the questions and thought it better if the just sent her to . She was sure the fairies would find her there. Besides she no one would have understood why she cut in the past, and it may have not been her proudest moment but she wasn't ashamed of herself. In her mind, the cutting prevented her from traveling down much darker paths and telling them that wouldn't make them understand. Dippet and Slughorn would only trivialize and simplify the underlying issue.

She would have hoped to get the sympathy card, but as her uncle once pointed out, she looked far too much like a woman to be handled like a child.

"Ms. Aviste, after much discussion we have thought it best that you have someone to watch out for you. A peer that you can confide it. Lucky for you along with all of his other pressing duties has offered to tend to you and keep you on the right track." Dippet said with a smile.

Eviena's eyes widened and her clenched fists reddened. Had he honestly called her lucky for being forced around Riddle.

"I know you may resent being watched in such a manner but I can assure you that it is all for the best. Who knows maybe a romance can sprout out of all this nastiness…"

Before Slughorn could continue his ridiculous rant, Eviena hopped from the chair and walked out of the room and down the spiraling staircase with haste. She refused to listen to anyone else telling her what was in her best interests.

She was barely down the hall when Tom fell into step with her, a smile on his face.

"You should be honored. Many girls would love to be in your position." Said Tom. "Well at least that's what Slughorn said before you so rudely left."

She remained silent and continued walking.

"Hogsmeade, lunches, dinners. We are going to be the best of friends."

"I don't need you Riddle, I have Vela." She hissed.

"Oh yes well she shouldn't be too hard to entertain. I have it on good authority that her Hufflepuff is about to break up with his now girlfriend."

Eviena stopped a few feet behind him. "This won't make me tell you anything about the fey."

He took a few steps closer to her and leaned into her ear.

"All I have to do is wait. As long as I stay close to you, you can keep that pretty mouth of yours shut."

She pulled back at his touch and scowled. She thought about telling him about the master but decided against it. He was dangerous when presented with more information.

"I won't spend any more time with you than necessary."

"You don't have a choice. Otherwise off the you go." He said with a nasty smirk.

"Fine." She challenged. "I'll march back there right now and tell them to send me away. I'm not crazy, I just handle my grievances differently than others."

Eviena doubled back but Tom moved in front of her.

"Don't be stupid. All I want to know is what magic they possess."

"Magic that you want." she snapped.

He reached into his robes and Eviena immediately reached for hers.

"I'm not foolish enough to attack you so close to that fool of a headmaster." He said thrusting pieces of paper at her.

"What are those?" she asked with her hand still on her wand.

"Research, but that library is proving absolutely useless." He scoffed.

Eviena stared at his hands before taking the papers. She looked down at the elegant writing and saw the words Seelie and Unseelie underlined.

"Are these notes on the two fairy courts?"

"Yes."

She handed them back and tried to keep the disappointment she felt at bay.

"I don't belong to either." Eviena sighed, turning on her heels and heading towards her dorm.

"Read the rest." He grumbled. Shoving the papers back into her hands.

Eviena moved towards a window and began to read the notes.

"They are just notes on the courts. Seelie court good and pure, Unseelie court bad and like to murder."

She looked up and saw him smirking. "And when they mix something bad happens."

"Are you saying that I'm that bad thing that happens?" Eviena asked. She couldn't deny that she was nervous of his answer. She didn't want to be that bad thing, she wanted someplace to belong.

"What were your parents?"

"A man and a woman." She answered quickly.

"The moment we are done I'm going to strip you of your vocal cords." He sneered.

Eviena smirked. "You all just assumed because I said nothing, I was thinking of nothing. But back to the point, what does it matter?"

"Because everything starts with origins."

She looked down at the notes and that voice that haunted her dreams invaded her mind. She didn't want to focus on that now so she quickly relayed the information.

"Fairy, my mom was the fairy."

Eviena looked up and closed her eyes when his hand landed on her face.

"Tears are weakness." He hissed. She grabbed his hand and led it away from her face.

"Just tell me what my mother has to do with this."

"Her lineage is why Grindelwald paid a visit to your house. But she couldn't have had any fairy magic left in her, otherwise she would have been able to protect you and your family. You inherited the blood, that's why you are on the stronger side of the magic spectrum."

Eviena averted her eyes to the paper. "My parents were killed because of me?"

"Yes" he stated in a matter of fact manner. "But that's not the point, Seelie and Unseelie blood is different but when they mix the can manifest their powers into something unimaginable and… Are you even listening to me?"

Tears fell from her eyes, smudging the ink. She looked up and shoved the papers into his chest. "Because of me my parents are dead. So in short, no I'm not listening."

Eviena made it to her dorm without any more interruption. When she walked into her dorm she was greeted with Preva and two of her friends. The first was a small pudgy girl whose first name she didn't remember but knew her last name was Bulstrode and the second girl was tall, blonde, and French and Eviena was sure the girl never smiled. Her name was Milicent.

They all looked up when she entered and Preva hoped to her feet, tears in her eyes.

"Girls leave." Preva said quietly.

After a bit of protest about what Preva was going to do they left but not before shooting murderous looks at Eviena who had moved to sit on her bed. She really wished Vela had not chosen to switch rooms, her allergy to one of the girl's cats was very inconvenient.

"Why does he care for you so much?" Preva asked quietly.

Preva gave a tear filled laugh and sighed. "You don't speak, so what if your pretty. You don't do anything. Why won't he look at me the way he looks at you?"

Eviena starred at the girl across from her. She didn't want to handle this at the moment, she wanted to cry in the privacy of her own bed and think about all the information Riddle had just thrown at her.

"Even Riddle looks at you. You know how many girls have thrown themselves at him, but he wants nothing to do with any of them."

She stood up and walked over to her. Her face was paler than usually and she was a bit wobbly.

Her hand moved over her stomach. "If you only knew what I just did for him, to keep him. But at least I know you aren't perfect."

She pulled an open letter from her pocket and placed it on the table next to hers. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone at the moment. I'm just happy to know you look like your suffering too."

With that, Preva left the room to rejoin her friends in the common room and Eviena sat frozen on the bed. She stared at the letter for a few moments before reading it.

_Dearest Eviena,_

_We have received the most upsetting news today and I myself cannot believe it. You were always such a good, quiet child. You could not possibly harm yourself. In fact the notion makes no sense at all. But if the headmasters brief letter was true then I think it best you stay there. No sense coming home where there is no one to watch you. Now I know you probably dislike the idea but I hope the news I am to reveal will bring a smile to your face. I am with child. At this very moment your uncle Aemon's child grows inside of me and although he does not show it, I know he is pleased. This Christmas we will be visiting Italy for your uncle's business. With that in mind, I think it best that you stay at Hogwarts for the break as you've always detested traveling. _

_All the best_

_Your loving Aunt_

She read the letter twice before slowly ripping it apartand letting the shreds fall to the floor. Her aunt had just made it very clear that she didn't care. Eviena could have been on the verge of suicide but still that mattered naught. Her aunt was going to have a child and Eviena would no longer serve to fill her childless void.

She needed now more than ever to find a place she belonged. It wouldn't be long before she came into her inheritance and her aunt disowned her for good.

Eviena made the scraps disappear with the wave of a hand and pulled off her robe. She opened her trunk and grabbed a blue vile. Too much had happened to and she want to face any of it. Eviena uncorked the bottle and drained the contents. As her last acts before she passed out she shut her curtains and put a feeble noise charm up so she didn't hear when her roommates entered the room.

Her hands moved beneath her pillow and she pulled out the Elsie the Sprite book. As her one final act she threw the book from her bed. The magical world nor the fairy world was of interest to her at the moment...she was the one at fault for her parents death and no matter what world she thought of there was no escaping that.

####

Tom woke early the next morning and got dressed for the day. Black slacks, pressed white dress shirt and green pull over vest. He checked himself in the mirror before draping his black coat over his arm.

"Riddle." A disgruntled voice said from behind him.

Tom schooled his face into a blank mask and turned to face his would be aggressor.

"Black, you really should go get that lump checked. Wouldn't want you to fall asleep and never wake again." Tom hissed.

"I know it was you that did this just because I don't remember it means nothing. You keep your bloody hands off of her." Alphard yelled.

Tom let a cruel smile for on his lips and headed for the door. "I'll be sure to keep my hands at bay. But maybe you should have a good talking to her about her lips."

"You are a lying bastard." Alphard stomped towards Tom with balled fist, but Riddle only smiled as he turned around and met the angry Slytherin face to face.

"She doesn't need you. She tolerates you and spares you a smile every now and again. Don't feel too special, I've caught her smiling at squirrels plenty of times." Tom drawled.

Alphard's mouth tightened and he pulled out his wand.

"You could cast a spell that I will easily deflect and then I would inevitably retaliate and win. But then I would tell her about you and Preva's little boo boo. You wouldn't dare chance her looking at you any different." Riddle hissed.

Alphard took a step back and lowered his wand. "Don't, don't tell her."

Tom smirked and took a step closer. "You really would do anything for her. Why?"

"No one was there for her when she needed them. I couldn't forgive myself if I hurt her again."

"Fine. Well if you want me to keep your secret then you have to do something for me."

"What may that be?" Black grumbled.

"In three days time at the stroke of midnight I want you and all of your little friends to meet me on the seventh floor. I have a proposition for you all."

Tom turned with a flourish and opened the door.

"Oh and one more thing. You are to stay away from her. She's mine."

Alphard's face dropped and Tom smiled and left the room.

He stalked down the stairs and waited for Eviena's dorm mates to leave returning there pleasant smiles and trying not to sneer when they began giggling like fools. Preva was not among the giggling girls and from how sickly she looked, he figured she must not have chosen to carry the child. Tom did not dwell on this, his interests were in the one girl who hadn't descended the stairs.

After a quick spell to keep the stairs in tact he marched up the stairs before anyone else could enter the common room and catch him near the girls rooms.

Tom entered Eviena's room and approached her bed, stopping when he saw a small book discarded on the floor. He picked it up and stared at the little green sprite's face with distaste before throwing the book on top of her trunk and pulling back the curtains to her bed.

Her hair was draped over her face and the covers were drawn tightly around her. Before he could stop himself, he pushed the hair out of her face, only withdrawing it when she began to stir.

"Why can't everyone just leave me alone?" She whispered in a voice heavy with sleep.

"I'm not everyone." he stated before flicking his wrist and causing all of the curtains surrounding her bed to open.

He walked over to her trunk and pulled out a light blue dress. "Here, you can wear this."

"Maybe you should put it on, and leave." she hissed.

Tom pulled back the covers to reveal her body still uniform clad.

"I could just force you."

"And I could suffer a psychotic breakdown and kill you. They already think I'm crazy. I wouldn't go to Azkaban." Eviena sat up and stared at him through puffy eyes.

"You think your funny?"

"No, I thought we were talking about possibilities."

He threw the dress on her bed. "Get dressed. We are going to Hogsmeade." He hissed.

Eviena shoved the dress onto the floor and glared at him. "I'm going with Vela. I won't allow you to babysit me and pretend that you are just being the good Samaritan."

Tom's jaw clinched and he felt his magic begin to churn inside of him. "Vela is not going to make it. I paid her a visit last night and it would seem that she is a bit ill. Will be in the infirmary for a bit and she is highly contagious so don't bother visiting."

"You poisoned her. You rotten little as—"

"I will not tell you again. Put the dress on and meet me downstairs. There is a book waiting for us that could help you get back to the fey and help me secure my future."

"You intentionally hurt Vela. Why would I go anywhere with you?"

"Because, whether you want to admit it or not…I am the only one on your side." he said without looking at her.

"The only side you are on is your own." She replied.

Tom picked up the dress and put it back on the bed. "At this point in time you really don't have the luxury of turning away my help."

Tom turned and left the room. A smug look overcoming his face when he saw how defeated she looked. He knew she needed him and he was reluctant to admit that he needed her too. But he was still unsure of how much fairies had to do with their sudden closeness.

####

Eviena placed her hair in a ponytail and threw her dark green pea coat on. She hated how quickly the weather had changed, but she hated the person who waited outside of her door a much more. She didn't want to rely on him for information and Ghillie Dhu had warned her to stay away from him. But Tom was her only shot at information if Ghillie Dhu and his Master turned out to be more trouble than blessing.

With one last huff she grabbed her purse but left her wand. Maybe her fairy half would be more obliging if she channeled her magic without a wand like Ghillie Dhu had done with his disappearing act.

She exited her room and looked up at Tom. "I'm not speaking to you in public."

"I'd prefer it." he grumbled, his coat already on. The material looking a bit worse for wear.

Silence persisted between them until they came to the main entrance of Hogwarts.

"I think you should know something." She said quietly.

"What?"

"If I tell you to go or you see someone who doesn't belong…leave."

"Why would I run away?" he asked, sounding a bit insulted.

"Fairy retribution. You killed one of their own." Eviena sighed, her mind moving back to her conversation she had had three days back.

Tonight she would learn who the master was and she hoped the answer wouldn't spell the end of her.

They continued to walk to Hogsmeade, neither saying a word but Eviena saw the calculating look on Tom's face as he took in her words. He may have killed a Kelpie but he had no idea what he was up against and she too was clueless. This was cause enough for the both of them to be worried.

They stopped in front of a small bookstore, sandwiched between Madam Puddifoot's tea shop and Dervish & Banges.

Tom led the way into the store and walked up to the counter where an old man with thick glasses and dusty green robes was sorting papers.

"Hello, My name is Tom and I wrote to you earlier about a book." Tom said with sickeningly charming smile.

"Oh, oh yes Mr. Riddle, have the book right here. Expensive one for a bunch of fairytales though." The old man choked out as he coughed.

"Ah yes, well she loves them." Tom replied, gesturing to Eviena. "She won't even let me pay." He continued, taking the book and leaving her to pay the old wizard who's hand was outstretched.

She bit down on her tongue and handed the only man money before exiting the store and grabbing the book from his hand. But he quickly snatched it back.

"Now, now, taking a present away isn't nice. What manners you have." He mock scolded as he walked into the Three Broomsticks and grabbed two secluded seats.

After ordering two butterbeers, and her watching him for almost an hour read through the book he finally began to speak.

"Well this was useless. You are, according to all of the research I have done, a commodity. I don't like these uncertainties."

"Obviously someone has contacted you. How else would you know about them avenging that bloody horse."

Eviena continued to stare at him until he grumbled something and continued reading. After another hour had passed she excused herself to go to the bathroom but Tom barely noticed.

She entered the stall and began to undo the buttons on her coat when a small pop was heard from outside her door and an unwelcomed visitor shut the stall door behind him.

A nasty smirk appeared on his face as he eyed her body.

"Always so pretty." Abraxas drawled. "When I entered and saw you heading to the bathroom I couldn't believe my luck."

She moved back and reached her hand in her coat but she hadn't brought her wand. He on the other hand had already pulled his out and had it pointed at her.

He smiled again and began to unbuckle his pants. "You know, any girl would be lucky to be with me. My birth and place in society is far above yours, you should be honored. Now get on your knees. And don't bother screaming, there is a noise charm on the door."

Eviena reached for the door but he moved in front of the handle. "Let's not be a naughty girl."

Malfoy grabbed her roughly by the hand but immediately withdrew, his palm scorched. "You bitch." He sneered.

He pulled his hand back to slap her but before he could hit her, he fell to the ground, convulsing and yelling in pain. The only thing Eviena could think of was how much she wanted him suffer for what he had planned for her.

She opened her eyes and picked up his wand, starring down at him and pointing it at his face. "Don't you ever touch me again." she shouted.

The stall door wrenched open and Tom stood in front of her with a murderous look on his face.

He pulled Eviena out of the stall and looked down at Malfoy who was panting heavily and had blood dripping from his ears.

"Give me the wand Eviena." He said in an eerily detached voice.

She looked up at him, her breathing still erratic but she couldn't speak.

Tom gently pulled the wand from her hand and pulled her closer to him.

"Go and wait at our table." He told her quietly. His hand slipped from her wrist and she looked down at Malfoy.

"You can't kill him. They'll know." She said without thinking. An underlying concern for Tom and his current state.

"I won't kill him. Now go." He commanded in a steely tone.

Eviena gathered her wits and left the bathroom, her stomach clenching when she heard the bathroom door lock click.

She had just made it to her door when she saw Alphard and a few other Slytherins. She didn't know what to expect from him, but when she saw him look away in shame she thought her heart was going to fall into her stomach. Eviena couldn't help but wonder if he knew what Malfoy had planned and did nothing to stop him.

Before the thought could manifest, Tom grabbed the book and her wrist and led her out of the Three Broomsticks and directly past Alphard who continued to avert his gaze.

"That slimy bastard." Tom said through clenched teeth and as he pulled her through the streets.

He led her into a deserted ally and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. "Did he…Did that bloody weasel hurt you?" he nearly shouted.

She shook her head and he let go of her shoulders and leaned against the wall across from her.

"Did you kill him?" She asked.

"No. But you almost did."

She looked down, tears brimming in her eyes. "You should have let me."

"Don't be stupid."

"Don't call me stupid! I was almost…"

He shot her a nasty glare that immediately silenced her. She could feel his dark magic crashing into her.

Tom took her hand again and said nothing as they walked back to the castle.

When they reached their dorm he lead her into her room and began to pace as she sat on the bed.

He pulled out his wand and with a flourish her trunk flew open and her silver ring with a black gem in the middle came into his hand.

Eviena watched him mumbled a few spells before marching over to her and forcefully placing the ring on her hand.

"You are to wear this at all times so that I may know when you are in trouble. And if that bastard even grazes a strand of your hair I will not hold back from making him wish for death." he hissed before leaving the room and slamming the door.

She was almost catatonic until a ruffling from beneath her bed caught her attention and she found a familiar face staring at her.

"The Master is very upset. And to make it all worse, you ain't got my sweets."


	12. Halloween

Eviena sat staring at the little fairy until he finally spoke.

"We said to stay away from that boy." Ghullie Dhu hissed.

"Do you have the faintest idea of what just happened? Of what could have happened?" Eviena said quietly as she stared down at her ring. Tom's magical energies enveloping her hand.

Ghillie Dhu scoffed. "My master was watching you, always watching. Nothing would have happened."

Her head snapped up and she stared at the creature through narrow eyes. "Did you all watch as Grindlewald killed my family?"

The small fairy took a step back and fell on his behind with a thump. "We couldn't stop him. We weren't allowed."

"Who wouldn't allow you to?"

"Our queen."

Eviena crawled over to the creature and grabbed its arm. "I was almost assaulted today, I almost took a life today, and to make it all worse the only person who cares anything about me is dangerous beyond words. You all keep watching me. But what are you waiting for?" Eviena nearly shouted.

Ghillie Dhu reached around his back and emerged with a hand clutching a small pouch. "We wait for Halloween."

"What is that? And why Halloween?" Eviena let go of his arm and sat back on her feet.

"Don't you remember your own birthday?" He asked with a silly look on his face as he stared down at his arm.

"Look at this, if this bruises it'll ruin my whole aesthetic. You and your manly hands." He grumbled.

Eviena bit down hard on her lip. Anxiety was setting in and she didn't know how to keep it at bay.

"Why do you cry?" he asked, a hint of sincerity in his voice.

"I'm older than everyone in my year. I'll be 17, legal. I haven't celebrated my birthday in so many years…its never been a good experience. But why wait until then?"

She wiped her eyes and stared down at the creature. She truly had forgotten her birthday. So many years of birthday dinners in which her uncle would give her expensive gifts and her aunt would cry and fight with him over the money he would spend. He never managed such large sums on his wife. So every year, without fail, before the candles were blown out, a fight would ensue and Eviena would leave the scene all together to keep away from the noise.

But what was truly unsettling and now very much at the forefront of her mind, was that now she would no longer be the ward of her aunt and with a new family, she would surely kick her out. With that said, she really wouldn't have minded being away from her uncle, but she knew it was due to their presence that she somehow managed to pretend that she was okay. If she was all alone, the darkness at the pit of her stomach may grow unchecked and devour her. This was a possibility she feared.

Ghillie Dhu placed the small pouch in her hand and stared down at it. Inside was a sparkling purple powder.

"My master said not to say. But halfing, I can't let your birthday come to pass and not tell you what I know." He leaned in close and whispered.

"You know what you are. That snaky boy has told you and he was right. To some you are an abomination, to others a weapon…but to all, you are dangerous and when you turn 17 the two magics inside of you will form something that no one has seen and everyone fears."

Ghillie Dhu looked down as if in pain. "Said too much. I know I'll be punished."

"By who? Your master?"

The fairy nodded and Eviena took his small hand in hers. "You've done nothing. And if your Master doesn't like it, then he can come and find me."

Ghillie Dhu pulled his hand away and looked at her with glossed eyes.

"He _will_ find you. They all will. And when the time comes, you use that powder to protect yourself." He said before running and jumping off the edge of her bed and disappearing into the air.

Eviena stared after the fairy and then at the ring around her finger. She wasn't sure at the moment what she feared more, Tom and his "protection" or fairies wanting her dead.

She kicked off her shoes and stockings and pulled off her dress leaving her only in a tea colored slip. The small pouch sat on the pillow next to her but she had no idea what the powder could do so she left it untouched.

She had no desire to eat or interact with anyone, so she stared at the top of her canopy bed until sleep took hold of her.

When she awoke the next morning and glanced at the large clock across from her bed she wasn't very surprised to see it reading 4 am. But she was amused to watch Preva sneaking through the door, looking rather disheveled.

"Wait." A male voice hissed. A familiar whit mane of hair peaking through the door.

"You have my cloak around your shoulders." He said in an indifferent tone. He had dark purple bags beneath his eyes that weren't there the day before and Eviena felt her anger stirring as she stared at the both of them.

"Oh, oh yeah." Preva pulled the cloak from her shoulders and handed to him but didn't let go of the cloak. "Don't tell him okay? This was a one time…I…I was just lonely and upset. Please don't say anything."

Malfoy pulled the cloak away and winced in pain as Eviena channeled a small piece of her anger . "Don't worry, I didn't plan on it. You were just a passing thing…don't feel special." He said before disappearing and leaving Preva to look like a wounded animal.

Eviena waited for Preva to disappear behind the curtains then dressed in a plane white dress and escaped up to the hospital wing. Where she found Vela lying asleep in on a cot underneath a window.

She took a seat next to Vela and placed a hand on her arm. The majority of her skin was red and bandaged and her face had a purplish hue to it.

Vela began to stir and Eviena smiled when she opened her eyes.

"V, I don't know what happened. I woke up and there was this powder on my bed and all of the sudden I was here and there were these blisters and oh Eviena it was terrible. They think one of my housemates did it. Can you believe that?" Vela finished in a hoarse voice.

Eviena attempted to smile at her but she had the overwhelming urge to punch Tom in the face.

"But its fine, I mean Nathaniel came to visit me. Wasn't that kind of him. He seemed a bit on edge though. I think it was because of my face."

Eviena knew the look on her face was one of disappointment. She didn't want to see Vela hurt again and she knew that Tom had everything to do with Vela's upturned love life.

"Oh don't look at me like that. He really has changed, you'll see. And when he takes me to Halloween ball I'll show you."

Eviena's hand fell from Vela's arms and her gaze moved towards the window. Halloween was quickly becoming a dirty little word that she never wanted to hear again.

"You will come, you have to come. It will be the easiest thing in the world to find you a date. I mean its just a ball, and Nathaniel has friends and…"

Eviena covered Vela's mouth with her hand before she could say anymore. "I know that when I let go of your mouth you are going to go on a nonstop rant about me talking and the ball but I really need for you to listen. I hate Halloween and my life is exceedingly complicated at this point, so please no more talk of the ball or Nathaniel who may I add is completely beneath you." Eviena said in one long sentence that she managed in one breath.

She looked at Vela whose eyes were wide in surprise. "Now I am going to let go now and if you scream, I will no longer be your friend. Understood?"

Vela nodded and Eviena slowly let go of her mouth.

"Talk, you can talk. This whole time and you didn't say a word?" She squeaked out.

"It's complicated. I wanted to, it just never came out."

"You acted like this frail, breakable thing and I felt sorry for you. You were my pretty friend that didn't speak. But now you're just a pretty liar." Vela said quietly.

"Please, you have to understand that I just couldn't, because everything would get complicated. Everything has already gotten complicated."

"But no, you see, this can't work because if you talk then everyone is going to want to talk to you."

"But I don't want to talk to them. Vela, I promise you nothing will change."

Eviena knew the moment she said it, it was a lie. Everything was changing whether she wanted it to or not.

"Eviena, I can't be your friend anymore. The only reason we could be in the first place was because you didn't talk, you were flawed and I had something you didn't. But now I don't…and I can't be your friend."

Eviena felt the tears welling in her eyes.

"Vela, you're not like that. You can still be my friend, I don't plan on talking to the world. You're acting like the rest of those girls. You're better than that." Eviena nearly shouted.

She took a deep breath and looked down at Vela's discolored face. "Don't…don't leave me."

"But you're wrong. I am just like those other girls. You're perfect now, and I can't compete."

"I'm not perfect. Vela if you only knew how much was wrong with me…"

"That doesn't mean anything. I'm only human V, even I can't stop myself from feeling jealous."

"Jealous of what? I have nothing. You have a family that loves you, you're kind, you were my friend when no one else was. Are you honestly through with me because of a few measly words?"

"I can't. I'm sorry." Vela turned her face away.

Eviena stood and dried her eyes. "You really should right your mother. You can tell her that the Slytherin mentality has worn off on you."

"You know at first I didn't want a friend. But then after a while a grew to like you and like being around you. Did you ever like me as a person or were just desperate for a friend? But I should thank you, because having a friend was nice, even if it was for a few weeks."

Eviena left the wing and walked around the corridors in a slight daze, thinking of all that had come to pass and all that could happen. In the coming days Tom stayed close by during classes and meal times but neither spoke to the other and she had no desire to tell him of anything. But like always he had figured out what had happened between her and Vela and she was sure that he was happy that she was no longer in the picture.

On the eve of Halloween as they sat at the dinner table, the majority of the people now gone. He spoke to her and the conversation topic was not to her pleasure.

"I know what tomorrow is. You'll be 17."

She looked up and over at his hand. He had both his dinner knife and hers beneath his palm so that she could not get hold of it. This was routine for them.

"So. I'm older than you. Aren't you 16?"

"No, I will be in January. But that's not the point. Will you leave once you turn of age?"

Eviena looked back down at her untouched food. She had thought about leaving, but it wasn't a thought she had given much thought too. She would think about after Halloween.

"I haven't decided." She answered honestly.

He stretched his fingers and put his fists on the table.

"You can't go. Here I can protect you from them."

"I don't need your protection Tom."

"I won't let you leave."

"You don't have a say in this. I know that once my aunt remembers my legalization she is going to turn me out to make way for her child and hope of a perfect family. The only reason I was sent here was to be out of the way."

"Leaving would be foolish." He said quietly.

"No, what you mean is, leaving you would be foolish."

"Yes. That is exactly what I meant." he hissed.

The plates and silverware before them disappeared, signaling it was time to go.

"Everything has an end Tom. _Everyone_ has an end."

"Just because your aunt and Vela didn't see what they were giving up, doesn't mean everyone is blind to its value."

Eviena got up from the table and grabbed her school bag.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed Tom, and the next time you talk about me _to_ me, you may not want to speak about my value as if I was some object. Not everyone wants to be alone. Not everyone can survive it." She whispered hastily before leaving the hall.

Once in her dorm she walked straight passed the excited common room and into her room, ignoring the Halloween banter. She was on edge about the coming day and attempted to stay awake for the better part of the night, fearing the day she would have to wake up to. But by 4 a.m. she had succumbed to sleep and was soon being awoken by the excited screams of girls getting ready for the Halloween ball.

She pulled the covers up over her head and stretched her legs, her foot colliding with something hard.

Eviena sat up and stared down at the box that lay at her feet. With slight hesitation she opened it and pulled the ruby red Grecian Halloween costume from the box. A note fell from the folds of the dress which read, 'I'm sorry.' In Vela's handwriting.

At the bottom of the box was a gold bay leaf headdress and a matching bracelet. And another note written on a thin piece of park in gleaming black ink.

'He comes tonight at your ball. Masked in silver and moonlight. Wait for him.'

She could almost hear Ghillie Dhu's voice as she read the note. With little other incentive other than to finally meet the master she grabbed the dress and its accessories and moved into the bathroom and away from the squealing girls who halted their squawking until the door was shut.

After a quick shower, she placed on the dress that immediately conformed to her figure. She left the natural soft waves of her alone and pinned it all to the side and placed on the head dress. She wore no make-up and didn't bother to find shoes. When she peaked outside the door and saw no one, she figured the ball must have started and she made her out of the dorm and through the common room but someone was waiting for her.

"You're late." he said quietly in black dress robes that fit him perfectly and smelled of charms. When she looked closely she could see the material was a bit faded.

"I wasn't aware that anyone was expecting me." she answered.

"You have no shoes on." he said with a smirk.

She looked down at her bare feet. "I know. Its fine."

She tried to rush past him but he blocked her path.

"Why so anxious to go to a party?"

"I have a date."

He took a step back scowled. "And who may I ask is he?"

"I don't know, I'll tell you once I meet him." She said in a rush of air as she managed to dance passed him and through the portrait hole. It only registered to her the slight gleam of disappointment in his eyes when she mentioned another, but she was sure her eyes were deceiving her. That emotion seemed too human for Riddle.

When she made it into the great hall she marveled at its transformation but only for a moment. The furniture had been cleared and along each wall were tables of various pastries and Halloween themed foods. Above her jack-o-lanterns hovered above and a mirror image of the night sky played before her eyes.

She made her way through the costume clad bodies. After a few moments she spotted Vela in her Angel attire her a knowing smile. But aside from that she ignored everyone and everything until a cold long fingered hand took hold of hers.

Eviena attempted to wretch her hand away, thinking it Riddle but instead she was met by the sight of the strangest beauty she had ever seen. His skin was paler than hers, almost silver. His black hair was long and fell down his back in the straightest of fashions. His features were sharp and the tops of his ears pointed. He had dark eyes and wore a thin silver chest plate with vines engraved upon the outer shell. The armor was tied with tough hide and the same hide made up his boots.

On the side of his face, from the temple to the middle of his cheek was a long silver scar that gleamed like a crescent moon.

He pulled her close and waltzed her onto the dance floor.

"Ghillie Dhu's instructions were followed I see." He said quietly into her ear in a clear voice.

"You, you're his master?" She said in a trembling voice.

"Yes. And you are the creature he has taken a liken too." he said with a smirk that was charming rather than scary, unlike Riddle's.

She momentarily glanced around the room and saw many eyes upon them.

"I have been sent here to give you a message."

"Why not Ghillie Dhu?"

"Because this message comes with a stern warning."

His grip on her hand tightened and he pulled her closer.

"You are an abomination. You have no place in our world and one will not be crafted for you. In the coming days, months, years, the fey may seek you out, whether it be out of fear or intrigue. But no friendly hand will be extended to you and you will never be one of us."

Eviena's eyes burned and her body began to tremble.

"Is this your message?"

"No, it is my queen's."

"This isn't right. This isn't right because I haven't done anything."

"That is of no concern. Any more attempts by you to contact the fey will result in execution." He warned.

"Why?"

"It is apparent to everyone that you have too much magic. My queen will not have her thrown threatened."

"But I'm just a girl."

"Who's grandmother was the daughter of the King of the Unseelie court who chose a member of a Seelie court to be her companion, Halfling."

"She was a princess?"

"_You_ are a princess and the rightful heir of my queen's thrown." He answered.

"Why…why tell me this, if the only threat I pose is to her crown then why tell me that its my birthright?"

"Because you must know why it is you must stay away, why your life will be threatened every moment of every day. If you are to die you should know why."

"I don't want any of that, I just want to know who I am."

"Now you know. You have power yes, but she has numbers and she will not allow you into our world."

She looked directly into his eyes. "That's not fair. I won't give up."

"Then I will be forced to come back under less friendly terms."

His hand slipped away but she grabbed onto his arm. "Did my mother know?"

"Yes, and she chose to be with a mortal rather than fight for the title, a title that your grandmother was killed over."

Eviena looked up at his angular features. "I won't allow this, the fey is a part of me."

He pulled her in close and hissed into her ear. "You are alone. Neither part of you will compensate for that. Forget about us."

Within in the blink of an eye he was gone and she was left in the middle of the hall with tears pouring down her face and neck.

When she looked up she saw Dumbledore and Slughorn but she did not hear the words that came from their mouths.

She barely felt it when Tom pulled her from the room and lead her into the room of requirement.

"Eviena, Eviena!" He shook her shoulders but she only continued to cry harder.

"What happened? You were dancing by yourself. They all think you're mad."

She looked up and a new batch of tears sprung from her eyes. "They don't want me."

"What?"

Eviena attempted to push him away but he refused to be moved.

"The fey don't want me!" she sobbed her hands falling to her side.

He looked at her and she could see the concerned look on his face.

"Why does it have to be you?" she whimpered. "Why are you always there when I am at my lowest?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her chest to his.

"Stop. I don't need you."

"You're right, you don't need me. And I don't need you. But we want each other and that is much more powerful than any necessity."

"But I don't want to want you." she admitted quietly, his nose only an inch away from hers.

He stared into her eyes for an unsure moment before capturing her lips and pulling her flush against his body.

Tom pulled away and stared down at her. "I have to go perform my prefect duties."

Eviena shook her head and held onto his hand. "Don't leave me tonight."

**To be Continued…**


	13. Help Us

Tom pulled away and stared down at her. "I have to go perform my prefect duties."

Eviena shook her head and held onto his hand. "Don't leave me tonight."

Tom felt his heart beat in his throat and felt the heat rise up his face as he stared into her eyes. She took a step closer and spoke quietly.

"Everything in me says that this is all wrong. That the only reason we want each other is because we are both so irrevocably broken that there is no need for explanation. But I don't want to be broken anymore…I don't want to feel this way."

"Then don't." Tom responded, pulling his hand away. He couldn't help but feel insulted by her admission that they were broken.

He didn't feel broken, but once she spoke the words, he knew that they somehow fit.

"I think that however you feel about the situation is your own problem." He hissed.

Tom stuck his fists in his pockets closed his eyes for a brief moment to collect himself. He did not know how to feel about her at the moment or the situation he was currently in, but he knew even if she turned him away that very moment, that he would be unable to find the strength to move.

"For so long, I haven't needed anyone. No one ever saw me as the broken thing I had become. You did and you stayed. I don't like that…because someday I'm not going to want you, I'm going to need you. And you won't there."

Tom could say nothing after this admission. She looked defeated, an emotion he himself treated with disdain and anger.

She bit down on her bottom lip and looked up at him.

"Maybe we should pretend that I never said a word. Forget everything that has happened, because I'll never be fey and you'll never get their magic, neither of us can ever replace those things lost." She whispered.

"You want me to forget you?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes."

Tom felt something come over him and his magic swirled violently within him. He grabbed hold of her wrists and pulled her towards him.

"I will do no such thing." He hissed.

Eviena turned away but she was no longer crying. "Tom, let me go." She said quietly.

"No." his grip on her wrists tightened and he had to work very hard to keep his magic from assaulting her.

"I wasn't talking about my wrists."

"I want to protect you, I want you to be mine."

"For how long? How long until your ambition decides I am no longer worth the energy." she asked in a collected tone.

His grip loosened and he stared down at her, he couldn't exactly deny that what she said had a hint of truth to it. When his power grew as he expected to, he would have no room for a girlfriend…but a powerful queen was something entirely different.

"You see right through me, you see everything I am and capable of and yet you stay by my side. Why would I let you go, why would I forget you?"

She opened her mouth to speak but Tom refused to hear the words that may have fallen from her lips. Tom's lips crashed into hers and he felt her stiffen at the action, but he refused to break away. One hand fell to her waist while the other moved to her head.

Eviena pulled away and took a few steps back from him until her back hit the cold stone wall. "You're just going to read my mind again." she accused, pulling up the strap of her dress that fell.

Tom watched the anger build in her eyes but was forced to take a moment to regain his breath before he spoke.

"I had no intention of doing that again."

"Give me one good reason why I should trust you? One good reason I should deny everything in me that tells me this will end horribly."

In three easy strides Tom was in front of her his arms extended on either side of her head, trapping her.

"Because at the moment, the little bit of heart left that beats within my chest beats for you and you are not the only one that hates the feelings our connection brings, but they are there and I will no longer refuse them." Tom growled in frustration.

The moment the words were said he resented and regretted them. He felt vulnerable and future Dark wizards should not feel vulnerable especially for a girl.

Before the thought could fester and anger could take hold she spoke.

"You're lying." Eviena said quietly.

"If I was lying, you wouldn't still be here."

Tom felt a smirk form on his face as he stared down at her and watched her defensive and tense demeanor abate.

"This is all going to end badly."

"I would never allow that to happen."

"But don't you see it? You'll be the one to break it Tom."

Tom's hands fell to her shoulders and he gently pushed the straps of her dress down as he kissed her gently.

"I swear to you, that will never happen."

Tom pushed a piece of her hair out of her face and watched for any reaction that would give him cause to worry. With each moment that passed, with each lingering touch he began to fear what he would do without it.

When they first met he was inexplicably drawn to her but now he knew that was not the case. There were no external forces working against him, this was what he wanted. She was what he wanted. Where he was sure a hollowed hole had been, there was now a heavy weight and the longer she remained quiet, the more painful it became.

Tom Riddle was quickly coming to terms with the fact that having a heart was not something he would be fond of.

"No more running. No more denying this. You are mind now, and I…I'm yours."

"I…I want you to know something before this goes any further."

"What?"

"No matter how long this lasts or how far it goes, I'll never kiss you with my eyes closed. I will always see you for what you are and if you become something that I can't bear to look at, then I'll leave you."

Without delay Tom had Eviena in a tight embrace, refusing to let her go. He felt her fall into his arms and succumb to his touch the way he had longed for her too from the very beginning. Unlike the last time he had kissed her, there were no malicious thoughts forming in his mind, no plots to extort information. There was just her.

Tom thought hard about the very large bed he dreamt of having as head boy and began to back away from the wall, taking her with him. Not long after the thought a bed draped in green and black linens enter his mind, did his legs collide with it.

He eased himself down on the bed and brought her with him. He felt her body stiffened as he lay down but he refused to break away from her.

With a bit of maneuvering Tom was laying on top of her, feeling her like he had longed too for so long. He removed his cloak and sweater before working on his shirt. As her fingers ran across his chest he felt his heart beat faster and for lack of breath could say nothing as she returned his attentions.

He broke away for a moment and whilst on his knees stared down at the girl in front of him. Without any prodding or suggestion and with hesitant hands, Eviena slipped off her dress and discarded it on the floor. Before Tom get take in her topless figure or the scars on her upper thighs, she quickly placed herself beneath the covers and waited. Her eyes avoided him and she looked unsure of herself.

Afraid of scaring her away Tom took off only his trousers and kept his boxers on until he too was beneath the covers. He gently pulled her face to his and resumed kissing her until he was once again on top. He felt himself drowning in her scent and when a small moan escaped her lips as he kissed down her neck, he knew the moment they both were anticipating could no longer be prolonged.

Tom removed his boxers and hitched a finger around her underwear and before she could make protest he removed them. He thought about all the things he was in the position to do, but knew none of them would be received well unless he started out slow. He situated himself between her legs and intensified their kiss and in one quick moment claimed her virginal status.

Her fingers dug into his arms but soon the tension in her face lessened and her body loosened up. Tom had never felt such satisfaction being with another. Of course he had taken a girl or two of his house but that was only for study. Eviena was entirely different. Every touch, every kiss, every pleasurable sound that escaped from her lips became his satisfaction and as he moved closer to his climax he felt compelled to hold her tighter, kiss her harder, afraid that he would never share a moment like this with another. There was no thought of power, secrecy, or the future, only her and the feelings she stirred within him; all of which were very troubling but he felt confident that he could deal with them at a later time.

After a moment of feeling as though his torture would never end, he felt his release and his face fell to the side of her neck as he regained his composure. He lifted up and stared into her bright green eyes. He wiped a stray tear away, slightly annoyed that she may have been crying.

Eviena caught Tom's hand and stared at it before Tom rolled onto his back and brought her onto his chest.

He closed his eyes and stroked her arm absentmindedly for a time.

Tom thought of something to say but the gentle sounds of her sleeping kept him from speaking.

He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to come but instead a rather nasty thought began to formulate.

If he could no longer count on fey magic to keep him alive forever, to keep him with her forever, then he would get to work on a horacrux the second he gathered all the information necessary. It really was his only option.

####

Eviena awoke to the sounds of Tom's breathing. His arm was curled around her waist and his leg was in between hers.

Her body ached slightly and once the fog of sleep descended, she almost blanched at the memory of what she had just done.

She had crossed the point of no return and something in her gut screamed that this was all going to end horribly but she knew that he was right, that he could protect her from all of the bad things that pursued her, but did he count himself in that equation?

He began to stir beneath her and she stiffened at the movement.

"We've crossed every boundary imaginable. Now is not the moment to be shy."

Eviena sat up and wrapped a sheet around her. "I wasn't being shy."

Tom reached up and pulled the sheet down before bringing her lips back to his. His hands were cold but she didn't flinch away. She wanted him to touch her, wanted him to want her the way he did. Because she wanted him.

Tom Riddle was quickly becoming the only consistent factor in her life, whether she liked it or not.

Eviena pulled away and looked at her dress on the floor. The memories of Ghillie Dhu's master shunning her from her own world were painful, but she wasn't prepared to give up just yet. She couldn't throw it all away and forget it.

"My dress, I can't be seen it and I don't have my wand."

Eviena thought about testing out her fairy magic, but Tom couldn't be trusted with something like that.

"I think it would be rather fitting." He said with a smirk.

"No. I think you should modify it. Because…I think I am going to throw away my vow of silence and any unneeded distractions would be silly."

Tom's smirk turned into a sneer and he sat upright. "Why would you do something like that?"

"I think its time to move forward, and being silent doesn't serve in my best interests."

"I don't want those boys thinking that they can speak to you." he hissed.

"They already talked to me. You act as if I am going to go and give a speech. Vela knows, its not that big of an issue."

Tom looked down at their pile of clothes. He pulled out his wand and changed her dress into a simple, everyday green dress.

"Since we are together, I guess it matters little." He sighed.

"Are you going to go public with us?"

"I don't know, I guess you will have to wait and see." He stood and began to dress and she did the same.

Before they walked out the door Riddle grabbed her hand and pulled her close.

"I meant what I said, I won't allow this to be broken."

Eviena knew he believed in his words but she knew that when the time came, those words would be forgotten and he would do something unforgivable.

With little else to do but smile, Eviena gave him a kiss and proceeded out of the room. When they reached the common room it was empty and the clock read 6am.

He gave her another quick kiss before they parted and Eviena was happy to have the time to collect her thoughts.

She hopped in the shower and allowed the sound of the water to overtake her thoughts, unwilling to focus on anything else.

A glass vile shattered on the floor and Eviena quickly shut the water off and wrapped a towel around herself.

The room was filled with steam and she could see very little until she looked down and saw an all too familiar presence lurking.

"I thought you were told to stay away from me?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, well…that's what I'm here about."

Ghillie Dhu waved a hand and steam disappeared. He hopped up on the sink and stared at her as she took a seat across from him on the toilet.

"Those things my master said are things he is duty bound to say. He had to give the message from our queen. But there were things he added that he shouldn't have."

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that the crown is yours and that you are stronger than our queen." He sighed. "She only wanted you to stay away from her court, she never wanted you to know the other stuff. Silly girl, why would someone tell another that they hold a crown that is not their birthright."

Eviena pulled her wet hair to the side and sighed. "What do you all want from me?"

Ghillie Dhu hoped down from the sink and kneeled down in front of her. "You are our Queen and when you say the word, we will follow you."

Eviena stood up and back against the wall. "No. I don't want to be a queen, I just want to be a part of the fairy world. And the Unseelie court is known for horrible things, is that not true?"

Ghillie Dhu stood. "It is in our nature, but our kingdom is a mess and is destroying itself. Half the fun of punching a pixie in the nose is knowing you may get in trouble for it by someone above your station. But when there are no rules then the pixies get bold and pull knives on you. What's the fun in that?"

"You punched them." she scoffed.

"The Unseelie court is in disarray, they need their true leader. We can smell it in her blood that she is not to rule, but no one can depose her and she only cares for the crown on her head and not for the court."

Eviena bent down and lifted the small creatures chin up to face her. "Your master will kill me, even if I wanted to help."

"My master has been the one protecting you from her for years. He knows what I have come here to do."

Eviena sat on the floor. "I need to think about this."

Ghillie Dhu nodded. "I will be unable to see you for a time, but my master will come retrieve your answer. Until then, look to that book of yours."

"Elsie the Sprite?"

"Yes. It was written for you after all. Its your map back, use it. And don't forget your birthday present from me."

Eviena gave the small creature a peck on the cheek. "You have to promise to come back."

He looked up at her with glittering black eyes. "I'll promise to try."

With that the little fairy disappeared and Eviena was left to sit and ponder what exactly had just been asked of her. She would have thought it funny that she and not Tom had been placed in this situation, he would have loved it. But when lives were at stake she felt nearly suffocated by the situation.

By the time breakfast came around she was already dressed and waiting for Riddle at the portrait hole.

Being the first ones to rise had its perks; one of those perks being that when Tom finally appeared and kissed her full on on the lips, no one was around.

"You seem excited." She said quietly.

"And you seem sad. What has happened?" he asked in an all too serious tone.

Eviena shook her head and headed out the portrait hole, and Tom soon fell into step.

"You know you can tell me."

Eviena thought of a quick lie, afraid to tell him of the truth. "I don't want you to think of me less because I slept with you."

Tom gave a dark chuckle and pulled her to him.

"That's just silly. Don't you dare think that." He said quietly.

She almost felt bad that he was genuinely comforting her. Of course she didn't think she was a slut or anything, if anything she was sure that he was the only one of them with and sexual experience.

She looked up at him and gave what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"Let's go to breakfast."

Reluctantly Eviena walked hand in hand with Tom to great hall. She knew he found little romantic notion in the act, if anything he was using it as a nonverbal marking of his territory, but she didn't mind it, she too liked the nonverbal communicator. It made her feel more grounded and less afraid of what Ghillie Dhu had just asked of her.

Eviena looked up at the professors table and saw Slughorn whispering excitedly to Dumbledore and pointing at them. Tom saw this display too but said nothing, Eviena however continued to stare until Dumbledore gave her a knowing smile.

When they were both seated and food in front of them Tom began to speak. "I have a project to finish up and the next few nights I will be preoccupied." He said as he sipped his pumpkin juice.

"How does this affect me?"

Tom smirked and nonchalantly took her knife.

"I want you to stay out of trouble and work on our potions project."

"What project?"

"The one we were assigned at the beginning of term. I have done all the research, you can brew it."

"What exactly would I be brewing?" she asked, between nibbles of her fruit salad.

"A potion to freeze living things in there state."

"Sounds time consuming."

Tom stabbed his fork into a piece of melon on her plate. "It will be." He said with a smirk before eating the fruit.

"I won't let you use things like this to keep tabs on me."

"I'm not, I am merely making sure you perform the duties expected of you with regards to group work." He said innocently.

"Do you have to work at lying? Or do the words just fall from your lips?"

He gave her a charming smile and continued to eat. Soon their table began to fill and Eviena noticed how Black and Malfoy completely avoided her. Of course she expected Malfoy to avoid her, Tom had threatened to kill him. But she was still puzzled by Black and his sudden detachment.

"Are you done?" He asked, whilst standing.

She nodded and he entwined his fingers around hers and lead her out of the hall.

Tom strolled out of the great hall, seemingly ignoring the eruption of whispers around them. But Eviena was not so oblivious to them.

When they were well down the hall and heading back to their dorms to gather the research so he could get her up to speed, the smile on his face was the largest she had ever seen on him.

He had claimed her, and now the whole world knew about it.

But as the days passed and classes resumed, she thought less and less of the whispers and of the little signs of affection Tom would give her in front of others, to show the others that she was off limits and as he phrased it 'keep the stupid giggly girls' away from him. But they did share many moments alone, and he was always affectionate and attentive. Those were the moments that kept her with him.

True to his word, every night after dinner he would disappear and sometimes reappear in her bed at a very late hour. Because of a certain ingredient needed for their potion, she was unable to start it so she spent the majority of her nights alone or with Vela, when she wasn't with her Hufflepuff. But when Eviena was alone, she would think about the Unseelie court and her royal title. But the thought of how much responsibility would be placed upon her shoulders, was too intimidating to think of for long periods of time.

One day after transfigurations, before escaping out of the room and finding Tom waiting for her, Dumbledore stopped her and asked her politely to have a seat.

Eviena didn't look back at the door closing, she did not care to see Tom's angry face.

Dumbledore took the seat beside her and sighed.

"It is a beautiful day and I am happy to know that you have found a friend or two to share such days as this with." he said happily.

He adjusted his apricot colored robes and looked down at her.

"I see that you and have been spending a lot of time together."

Eviena looked up at him and waited for his warning.

"I am happy to see you two together. Tom, when left alone, has a very dangerous mind. But when I see you two together apart from the touches he gives for show, I see a light in his eyes that was not there before when he looks at you. It isn't a look filled with greed or hate."

Dumbledore pushed his half moon spectacles up continued.

"I know that this is a large request but I would ask that you attempt to keep this relationship as strong and ongoing as possible, of course as long as it does not hurt you. Tom is very powerful and smart, and until you he had nothing to stand in front of his ambitions. But now that he has you, he has something to protect, something to think about other than himself."

He gave a low chuckle. "You have suffered through so much, and the burden of Tom is a heavy one…but…"

"Professor." Eviena said quietly.

She looked over at him and expected to be in shock but he did not.

"Tom and I…we each need each other just as much as the other. He knows that if he does something that I can't forgive, then I will leave him." Eviena looked down at her hands.

"But to be honest I don't think that will stop him from something if he really wants it."

"That is a truth I can agree with, but the change I have seen in him is much larger than anyone else would notice and I hope that it sets him on a new path. Even if you do not stay on that path with him."

Eviena sighed. "Professor, the matter that troubles me is not Tom, I can deal with him."

"Grindelwald?" he asked in a heavy voice.

"No." she said quietly.

"Someone…has asked me to do something…and if I don't, many will die."

"Tom?" he asked in an even heavier voice.

"No, someone who has nothing to gain for asking my help, but everything to lose." She said in barely a whisper.

"Are you the only one that can help?" he asked.

Eviena nodded and felt her eyes begin to burn. "I'm just scared. I don't want to fail them, but I don't want to be what they need me to be."

"Ah, a dilemma that will plague us all at one time or another. But it is sad when it befalls the young."

"I cannot give you council on the matter, because I think you know what you must do and are resigned to do it. That is why you ask me."

Eviena wiped her eyes and sighed. "I will lose everything."

"That is usually the price of good."

Eviena stood up and grabbed her bag, she knew what she had to do, there was nothing else to say.

"Thank you professor, for listening."

"Anytime my dear."

Eviena left the room and walked up to Tom.

"You've been crying. Did he make you cry?" He asked in a cold whisper.

Eviena wiped her face. "No. He just helped me come to terms with something."

The hall was deserted as everyone hurried to lunch.

"Did he tell you to stay away from me?" Tom hissed, staring at the door with menacing eyes.

Eviena kissed him gently for a long moment. "No. Stop being so vain Riddle, not everything has to do with you."

She took his hand and held it tight, afraid of what would happen when she let go.

Before they entered great hall Eviena stopped. "Spend the night with me tonight."

"I have matters to attend to." he told her.

"Tom, I'm serious."

"Why?"

"Because, because I am your girlfriend now, and you should have to do what I say some of the time." Eviena snapped.

He looked down at her. "Tell me why you look so worried and I'll stay the night."

Eviena let go of his hand. "Fine, don't stay." She said with little inflection in her voice.

Before she could go into the great hall, Tom moved in front of her.

"Something has happened. Please tell me what has you so nervous?" he asked in a low tone.

"Tom, I know that if I'm alone tonight that I'll do something that I shouldn't."

Eviena was telling the truth. If she was left alone, tonight of all nights, she would not hesitate to ease the anxiety of saving a kingdom through unhealthy means.

"Are they the nightmares again?"

"In a way. But these ones are different, they're real."

He took her hand proceeded to lunch.

"I will be there before you fall asleep." He whispered into her ear.

"Thank you."

Eviena felt silly and weak for relying on him. But just because she had to face it alone, didn't mean she had to be alone in the process. And she wanted him by her side tonight.

At a very late hour past twelve Tom crept into her bed and stripped out of his clothes leaving only his boxers as he slid into bed.

"If the nightmares affect you so much I could brew you a potion."

She placed her head on his chest and sighed. "They don't work. But I promise, I won't ask this of you again."

"Don't say that. This makes me feel useful to you. I hate it when you don't tell me things."

"You don't tell me your secrets."

Tom shifted beneath her and sunk further down the bed so that his head was level with hers.

"Someday they won't be secrets. But when that day happens I wonder if you will stay by my side." he said in an all too serious tone.

Eviena pressed her body against his and his arm wrapped around her waist pulling her closer.

"I hope that day is very far away, and that I am there to see it." she said quietly.

Tom gave her a hard look before kissing her hard and rolling on top of her. She felt the material of her nightgown dematerialize and felt his fingers around her underwear. But she liked this, the closeness, the way he looked at her. She took just as much pleasure in it as he. Besides, what if Fairy Queens were not allowed to have boyfriends. Then what other memories would she have.

Tom's hands traveled the length of her body before he buried himself deep within her and recaptured her lips. In these intimate moments that she was with him, she had no thoughts of fairies or family. These moments were theirs and were shared with no others.

She felt some semblance of release before Tom buried his head in her hair and gave one last thrust. The more they performed the act the more pleasurable it became, and Eviena hoped that soon she would be just as exhausted as Tom when they finished.

Eviena slipped on her nightgown and excused herself to the bathroom shortly after Tom rolled on his back.

She shut the door quietly and turned on the lights, nearly screaming when she saw the fairy in front of her.

"I see my warnings were not noted." He looked her over and a look of what she thought was disgust crossed his features.

"You may be the master of others, but you are not mine." She told him, her eyes once again falling on his scar.

"You will see his true nature soon enough." the master said in a cold tone of voice.

"Why are you here? Where is Ghillie Dhu?" she asked with genuine interest.

"He is currently indisposed and as for why I am here, I need your answer."

Eviena took a deep breath to keep her composure. "What would I have to do?"

"You would kill the queen, we, your true knights, would handle everything else."

"How can I trust you?"

"Because you are both Seelie and Unseelie and so am I, you have my allegiance from two kingdoms." He straightened up and looked straight ahead, in militaristic fashion.

"Is it true that you have protected me all these years?"

"Yes. Your uncle was especially troubling, I should have killed him on his first attempt to enter your room at night." he hissed.

"So you know everything about me, everything I've done?" she asked in embarrassment and his attractive face smirked.

"Yes."

"How can I ever thank you for protecting me?" she asked in earnest.

He knelt down and his black hair puddle on the floor. "Become my rightful queen."

Eviena walked over to him. "I already planned on saying yes, and please don't ever kneel to me. It makes me uncomfortable."

He stood and looked down at her.

"What is your name…you don't have to give me your full one. I know that a fairy can be controlled through their name."

"My name is Vauhn, my lady."

He took her hand and kissed it. "I will tell the others of your answer at once. But in order for this plan to succeed, you must find the door."

"They door to what?"

"There is a world that coexists with yours that you must find and enter, the fey may appear to live amongst humans but we do have a world that is ours. Once you are ready to cross through the pathway, we will be waiting."

"How do you know your queen will not find out? What if she kills you too?"

"Do not worry about such things, just focus on the task of killing the queen. Your fey magic and witch blood will only get you so far, you must also have the knowledge to strike her down. And you will only have one shot."

Eviena thought hard about his words before nodding. "Okay."

He gave a low bow. "Please be careful of that boy you allow into your bed."

"Are you saying this as my protector?"

Vauhn gave her a sad smile and took a step backwards, disappearing into the shadows.

When Eviena had finally calmed her nerves and made her way back to bed, Tom was waiting for her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

She got into bed and he wrapped his arms around her. Eviena took comfort in his hold and at the moment didn't care about the fey and their warnings of him. She needed this at the moment and tomorrow she would face the challenges and dangers that were sure to follow her. But tonight there was just them.


	14. The Banshee and The Breakup

Eviena closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh as she listened to Tom.

"You need to stay away from that group of boys." He hissed as they sat in the empty snow covered courtyard.

"I was asked to give a message to the Gryffindor quidditch captain, it was only one boy." She stated, attempting to ignore his angry magic.

"Well you and this new found speech has every boy you say hi to thinking you want them."

"But I don't want them, I want you."

Eviena stood and grabbed her bag. "Your jealousy is getting out of hand Tom and we should really get to potions."

Tom stood and laced his fingers around hers, leading her through the corridors.

"It's not like that, I just don't like hearing them prattle on about you. And when I read their minds and see what they think of you…do you know how hard it is for me to hold back?"

Eviena stopped in her tracks and Tom stopped too.

"What if I left school?" She asked quietly.

Tom reeled around and Eviena took an unconscious step back at the look on his face. She had been toying with the idea of leaving since her conversation with Vauhn two weeks back and saw no other option if she was to find a way back to the fairies without being in danger or him endangering her goal of saving the fey.

"You're thinking of leaving me?" he asked in a cold whisper.

Tom took a step back and looked down at her with a mask of indifference.

"No, it isn't like that. It's just…I don't want to be here any longer." She said honestly.

"We wouldn't be able to see each other…what am I to do? Owl you for communication, meet you in Hogsmeade for little dates?" he asked with a sneer.

"Why wouldn't that work?"

Two fourth years passed them and Tom held his thought until they were gone.

"Because I want to be with you. I wouldn't have wasted my time otherwise."

"Is that what you think? That you've wasted your time with me?"

"At times, yes. You get so wrapped up in yourself that I would rather be by myself than watch you stare out the window for hours instead of talking to me and telling me what's wrong."

"If I told you what was wrong then you would try to fix it and everything would be much worse for me. Besides how do you think I feel? I only see you when we have class or dinner or your sneaking into my bed at night? Do you think I like that?"

Tom's hands balled into fists and he pursued her as she backed away from him. He trapped her between the wall and his body and smirked.

"Like what? Feeling like my whore?" He hissed. "You know my character better than most and let's face it, if I just wanted sex I would find someone else."

Eviena clenched her jaw and allowed her angry magic to push against his instead of repressing it.

"Then go and sleep with all the girls that fall all over themselves for you, I'm sure they will find your jealousy as cute and endearing as I do." she retorted.

For some reason the thought of him being with another girl did not sit well with her.

"Fine, go do whatever the hell you want. I'm above wasting time on some stupid girl who doesn't see how far I have gone for her."

Tom straightened up and looked away. "Let's face it, now that you have begun to talk your value has significantly decreased."

"My value, I thought we were through with that word."

Eviena couldn't bring herself to look at him. There was this increasing weight pressing upon her chest and she didn't like it.

"I think that you and I need some time apart but by no means does that mean you can talk to other boys." He sneered before turning on his heels and walking to potions.

Eviena slipped down the wall and stared at the black stone ring in her finger before taking it off and throwing it against the wall. She didn't like these new feelings. To feel jealous and hurt by the hands of a boy was not something she thought she would ever encounter and she didn't want to focus on it so she decided that she wouldn't. If she could survive seeing her parents murdered, she could handle a bit of heart ache, she reasoned.

She pulled out Elsie the Sprite and turned a few pages past the kelpie part, which she trumped up to an absolute failure due to Tom. She read the few words on the page until she reached Elsie's next fey encounter.

"Elsie traveled deep into the forest drew a circle around herself in the soil. The little sprite sat in the middle of the circle and with a sharp rock cut into her green flesh. After a time a grey fog appeared around her and an old voice spoke…"

"What is it you seek child, and I will gladly give it." Eviena looked up to see Vauhn standing above her her.

"People will see you." Eviena whispered as she shoved the book away.

He extended a hand and looked and she took it. "No one will see me your highness."

"Eviena." She corrected. "And what are you doing here?"

"Checking in, and from what I see my fears of your resolve were unfounded."

He motioned for her to walk and she did so with him beside her.

'_When you enter the forest I cannot follow_' he said within her head.

'_Why?_' Eviena asked, slightly uncomfortable by the ease with which he penetrated her mind.

'_I am bound to my current queen, protecting you from a fellow fey would raise suspicion._'

'_I remember how the story finished, the banshee tried to get Elsie out the circle and Elsie had to give the banshee something of value that was already dead._'

'_Are you worried about the procuring the dead object._'

'_No, I'm worried about what happens if I leave the circle_'

The made there way down to the dungeons before he responded.

'_Just don't leave the circle until all of the fog has rescinded and wind moves back to the trees. And do not fall for their tricks._'

Eviena paused in front of the door to potions class and gave Vauhn a kiss on the cheek.

'_Thank you, I have no one else to talk about this stuff with._'

Vauhn bowed and smiled. '_I will do any and all within my power for you._'

He backed away before completely disappearing and leaving Eviena to enter the classroom 15 minutes after class had started.

Slughorn turned around from the board and before he could react Eviena spoke in the sweetest voice she could manage.

"I'm sorry professor, I wasn't feeling well." She said with a smile as she slipped into her seat next to Tom, not looking at him.

"Ah, well, it is that time of year that you young ones get sick. If you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask."

He smiled wide before returning to his notes on the board, for some reason he enjoyed it immensely when she spoke and would seek her out after to class to have long conversations about absolutely nothing. Usually Tom would be present for these conversations to save her, but she had a feeling that he would not be present to save her from the boredom for a while.

Eviena refused to look at Tom and he never stole a glance at her. When class was over, per usual, Slughorn advanced upon her and Tom made a quick getaway.

"Well my dear, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you professor."

"You know, I sensed some disconnection between you and Mr. Riddle and I must say, I hope it is nothing lasting."

"Tom and I are fine professor, just going through something at the moment." Eviena put her books away and hoped the professor would take the hint that she did not want to talk.

Slughorn waved his wand and a stool appear as he sat his fat rump down.

"Tom is a good boy, never thought he could fancy a girl so much until I saw him with you. Something different in his eyes ya know?"

Slughorn gestured for her to sit and she did so. Eviena was a bit annoyed that she was unable to escape the old man but being mean to him or hurting his feelings was not something that she had any desire to do.

"Professor, talking about Tom really isn't something I care to do at the present. He's just a bit upset because I may leave Hogwarts."

Eviena stared down at her fingers. Now that she had said it again, she did understand how Tom could have seen the action as a betrayal. She knew he had no family, and only recently did he tell her that he was raised in an orphanage. She now understood was his only constant, as he was hers.

"Leave? Well my dear I think that you have much more to learn here, much more. You are far too bright to leave before realizing your full potential."

"There is a life beyond these walls. A life much bigger than the wizard equivalent to high school and don't worry, I haven't really decided yet." Eviena responded.

"Well, you know that if your doubts continue, or you ever need help, please don't hesitate to ask. I know you lot may think Dumbledore is the one to go too with personal matters, but I really am just as good. A bit shorter, but just as good." He said with a smile.

Eviena stood up and smiled. "You are very kind, thank you professor and I will be sure to come to you if I ever I need to."

The professor gave a quick smile and Eviena proceeded to leave, stopping just short of the door.

"Professor?" she asked quietly, not turning away from the door.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Are there banshees in the forbidden forest?"

"Why I suppose there may be, so many dreadful things in there. But banshees really aren't creatures to be taken lightly. Why do you ask?"

Eviena took a deep breath and shuttered at the thought of facing the creatures. "Research on a project."

Eviena escaped from the room and made her way to the library, if she was to face a banshee then she was to know everything about them. She had attempted to study the fey in one lump sum and was too overwhelmed to do so, so one subject, each day was more than enough.

After a few days of research, she came to terms with the fact that she knew all of the information needed to confront the banshees and the library could do little else for her.

Since her fight with Riddle, she had made great effort to avoid him all together and focus on the Unseelie Court. Early Saturday morning, before anyone else had awoken, she decided to take a stroll through the castle and savor what may be her last days at Hogwarts.

She was quickly realizing that without Tom, there really was nothing keeping her at there.

"Eviena." A familiar voice hissed.

"Alphard." Eviena said in mild surprise.

He gestured into an empty classroom and she walked in without hesitation. She had no reason not to trust him and the look in his eyes made her worry.

Alphard shut the door behind him and stared at her for a moment.

"Alphard, is everything okay?" She asked with genuine concern.

"When I first heard you speak in class my heart stopped for a moment, never thought I'd see the day."

"Neither did I."

"Was it Tom?"

"Tom what?"

"Did he get you to say your first words?" he asked with a frown.

"He was there, but I blame the horse much more than I do him." she said with a humorless laugh.

Aphard ran a shaky hand through his hair.

"Tom isn't good for you, if you only knew what he was capable of."

"Listen, I know that Tom has his faults but…"

Alphard took a few steps closer to her. "He isn't good for you, the things he has planned, the things he talks about. You wouldn't like any of it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't say, I'm under an unbreakable."

Eviena opened her mouth to speak but before something could be said the door swung open and Tom walked in with a murderous look on his face.

"Black, I thought we discussed this matter."

Tom walked over to Eviena and placed himself in front of her.

"She deserves to know. She deserves to have a choice in this!" Alphard spat.

Eviena felt Tom's magic envelop her and the possessive bite to it.

"I think you are forgetting who has the power here." Tom sneered.

Alphard pulled his wand. "I'm not afraid of you, I'll tell her myself."

Black turned to her and gave a weak smile. "I screwed up V, Preva got pregnant and I couldn't, we couldn't be parents so she got an abortion."

"You mean you forced her to." Tom retorted.

Eviena looked at Alphard and she couldn't bring herself to be mad, she pitied him.

"Why would you make her do something like that?" she asked in a whisper.

"Oh well that's simple enough, it is because he still dreams of you at night. He holds hope that you and him will skip into the sunset. Pathetic." Tom spat.

Eviena took a step away from Tom. "And what is it he can't tell me Tom?"

Tom's face dropped and his hand twitched towards his wand.

"Nothing of interest." He hissed.

"Don't lie to me."

He took a menacing step towards her. "It is none of your concern."

"You stay away from her." Black threatened with a shaking hand.

"Or you'll do what? Oh wait, that's right, you can't touch me." Tom said with a nasty smirk.

Tom grabbed her around the waist and leaned into her ear. "Let it go."

"No, tell me." she challenged.

"The truth would destroy us."

"And without it, there won't be an us."

"Tell her Riddle." Alphard said with a sneer.

Tom looked Eviena in the eyes and slowly shook his head. "If you knew the truth, you would never look at me the same again."

"Tell me. Why do you disappear at night?"

Tom let go of her and took a step back. "My plans are much bigger than you, I would rather be without you then chance you telling someone or getting in the way."

Eviena looked over at Alphard, she tried to come up with a retort but words failed her. Barely three hours had passed since their fight and they were breaking up.

She wrapped two hands firmly around her bag and moved to the exit.

"Alphard, you should leave too." She said.

Eviena didn't turn to see his surprised look or the look of anger on Tom's face, but she knew if she left him there, Tom would surely react with violence.

Alphard met her at the door and opened it.

"You know he's going to retaliate." She said quietly when they were outside of the door and it was shut.

"Yes, I know."

Eviena flinched as she heard something explode within the room.

They moved away from the area and made their way down the hall quickly to avoid Tom.

"I don't know what he's done and I thank you for trying to warn me, but you should worry about yourself more."

They made their way to the astronomy tower and looked out over the grounds. There was a thin layer of snow on the ground and soon they would be leaving for holiday. Eviena still wasn't sure if she would return.

Alphard took a seat on the window sill and she sat next to him.

"You shouldn't have done that for me." she said quietly.

"I should have stepped in the moment I saw you with him, I'm a coward."

"I don't regret the time I spent with him." Eviena put her hand on his.

"He's a creep."

"You got involved with him too." she responded.

Alphard sighed. "Only to keep my secret from you. If I knew you would react the way you did, I would have confided in you early on."

He turned his body to hers. "Now that we have reconciled, you should come to my house for Christmas with your aunt and uncle."

"I'm not going home, they don't want me."

"But I thought you planned on leaving the castle. One of your dorm mates said she saw you packing yesterday."

"I plan on finding my own place, its clear I'm not wanted at home and to be honest, I don't think Hogwarts is the place for me."

"So you plan on leaving?" he asked with a disappointed frown.

Eviena shrugged.

"You know my parents have yet to announce another contract, who knows, maybe we were meant to be."

"No, I can't get into anything like that." Eviena stood up and placed herself in front of him. "I will always care for you and I always want to be your friend but I have no intentions on remaining in the wizardry world."

"I could survive as a muggle." He said with smirk.

Eviena cupped his cheeks and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You wouldn't survive it where I'm going."

She went to leave but he caught her by the hand. "But Riddle would. You care for him more than me."

"Don't compare my affections for him to yours, they are entirely different" Eviena pulled her hand away. "And it will only hurt you."

Eviena checked the small wrist watch she was wearing and sighed.

"I have to go and meet Vela."

"Saying your goodbyes?"

"No, I don't think I could handle Vela's sobs. We are going for a walk she has something to tell me."

"Stay away from Tom." Eviena called out as she descended the stairs.

When she reached her common room, Vela was already waiting with their winter cloaks in hand.

"You're late. Were you meeting Tom?" Vela asked in mild disappointment.

"No."

"Good." Vela said with a smile as she handed Eviena her cloak.

They walked down to the forbidden lake and took a long stroll along the water's edge. Per usual, they didn't really talk about anything of great importance and she was thankful for the light conversation. Even with her new found voice, Vela did most of the talking and Eviena did nothing to stop her.

When Vela tired of the cold and no longer wanted to focus on keeping their warming charms around them they began walking back towards the castle but Eviena stopped midway up the path to the school.

She looked over her shoulder and saw the forbidden forest loom in the distance. She decided tonight would be the night no matter what.

"V? Are you coming to dinner?"

Eviena nodded and walked along side Vela to the common room to put their cloaks away and then to the great hall.

They had arrived early and Eviena would have normally been happy if Tom had not been there.

Vela gave her hand a light squeeze and smiled. "Its not like he's going to do anything, not with Dumbledore on his way."

"I know." Eviena sighed, replaying there break in her head for a brief moment.

She sat down little ways away from Tom across from Vela and began to pile food onto her plate. She picked up her knife and stared at it before placing it in her lap and waving a hand over so that is was now laying sound on her bed. In the event that there would be no sharp rock nearby, she needed something a bit more effective to summon the banshee. She was starting to see the trend with her blood and the fey.

They ate and talked and when Alphard came and sat he only spared her a passing glance before throwing a hateful look Tom's way, which Tom seemed not to notice.

When they were done with their meal Eviena told Vela she had a migraine and excused herself to her room.

It wasn't long before someone's footsteps began following her own.

Eviena didn't bother to take out her wand, she only needed it for complicated spells and if Malfoy showed her anything, it was that she didn't need it to hurt an attacker.

She made it to her portrait hole before the body behind her spoke.

"Where is it?" he asked with little inflection in her voice.

Eviena didn't bother to turn around.

"What?"

"The knife Eviena, what have you done with it?"

"Draconis Purist." She said quietly and the portrait swung open. "That's none of your business."

Eviena had little time to respond when he threw her over his shoulder and marched up the stairs with her after whispering some spell.

"Put me down!" Eviena attempted to kick him but he blocked her.

He entered her room and threw her onto her bed before grabbing the dinner knife that lay on her bed.

"Are you serious? I thought we were done with this." he hissed in anger.

Eviena sat up and reached for the knife. "There is no we."

Tom held the knife away and wrapped an arm around her waist. "If you think I would let you go that easy after some stupid fight, then you are a fool."

She placed two firm hands against his chest and pushed.

"I really don't think you should waste your time on a silly little girl."

Tom dropped the knife and pushed her back towards her bed.

"I said that in front of Alphard to make him believe we were through. If I just wanted to possess you then I would let you continue to cut yourself, I would allow you to stay in your depressed state. Did it never occur to you that it would be easier to bed you if I enabled you in such a way that I was the only thing in your life worth living for? But I haven't."

They fell back on the bed and Tom rose up on his arms.

"I want you but I will not give up the dreams I had before you."

He went to kiss her but she turned away.

"Maybe you are right though. Maybe you shouldn't waste your time with me."

Tom leaned up. "And why shouldn't I?"

Eviena scooted up and closed her eyes. "Whatever you are doing, its just going to get bigger Tom. Why do this to ourselves, why carry on with something that is going to end?"

Tom's jaw clenched and Eviena wondered what he would do. But she was right, if she continued with her fairy dealings it would all end, even if Tom didn't tell her what he was doing.

Tom stalked towards her.

"I told you I wouldn't allow this to end. I wasn't lying." He hissed before kissing her fiercely.

Despite the voice in the back of her mind telling her to stop him, she didn't. Her hands fell to her side and she waited for him to stop.

When he pulled back Eviena turned away, afraid of the look on his face. "I think you should leave before my roommates come back."

Tom pulled back. "You don't want me to leave." he challenged.

She took a deep breath. "I do. I think we need more time apart."

He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. "I will not be dismissed by you. I will not be dismissed by anyone." He growled.

"You should take your hands off of me and leave." Eviena whispered.

She couldn't deny that she wanted his comfort, that she wanted him to sleep with her tonight so that she would feel protected. But she couldn't neglect the fey, her fey, not with Vauhn and Ghillie placing so much faith in her. And with Tom by her side she would lean on him, he would become a weakness, and she couldn't have that when she was about to face some rather terrifying creatures.

"Do not tell me what to do!"

Eviena placed her hand on his and with a bit of magical assistance removed it.

"There is nothing left to say. Now I think you should leave, before I force you to."

"Are you threatening me?" He asked with a menacing glare.

Eviena took a breath to steady herself, afraid of the conflict her words could cause.

"No, I'm telling you what will happen if you don't leave…now"

"If I walk out that door then I will never come back. No one will look at you with anything but disdain, and every dirty secret you have will be smeared across the walls here."

"Fine."

Eviena felt her eyes begin to water but she refused to blink the tears away.

He backed out of her bed and threw the dinner knife at her feet.

"Have fun." He hissed before stomping out of the room and slamming the door.

Eviena curled into a ball and sighed. She had to clear her mind of everything if she was going to face the banshees tonight, but she couldn't help but cry after the tension filled conversation she had just been a part of with Tom. A small hand patted her on the arm and Eviena twisted to see a familiar face.

"The master sensed your pain and sent me." Ghillie Dhu said as he began to stroke her black hair.

He had a large scar running across his eye and down his cheek and his eye was swollen shut.

Eviena sat up. "Who did this to you?" she gasped.

The fairy mad a dismissive gesture and sighed. "It's nothing. I'm tough."

"Who?"

"The queen called for my master and when he didn't answer right away, she thought she'd have a bit of fun with me. Doesn't want to hurt the master anymore, thinks he's too pretty to be touched again."

"So you take his punishment?"

"I must." He said with head turned down.

Eviena placed her hand beneath her pillow and pulled out her wand. "Let me heal you."

She lifted her wand to perform the spell but he stopped her.

"She'd know. Mustn't let her know." He said. "Don't worry your highness, when you kill her I'll dance a gig on her corpse for good measure. A good old stomping one." He finished with a smile, clearly thinking of the day as if it was happening tomorrow.

Eviena dried her eyes. "Here I am crying and you are the one actually suffering."

She wrapped her arms around the little creature. "I'm so sorry she hurt you."

His skin was a bit rough but when he snuggled into her hair she decided not to let him go.

"You know, when you are queen of the Unseelie you can't go around giving hugs out like they was candy."

"So I shouldn't hug you anymore?"

Ghillie Dhu pushed away and sat down in front of her. "Now I didn't say all that."

Eviena smiled down at the creature and sighed. "Did you see what happened just now?"

"Course. The master sensed your discomfort and sent me to watch from the shadows. He really is a vile boy, threatening my queen. You really should stay away though. If he ever hurt you I don't think my master would hold back on that one."

"Don't worry about Tom, I think he hates me."

"That boy couldn't hate you if he tried. Told one of his little friends he wanted to perform some bonding ritual. Never gonna happen though, not with my queen."

Eviena pushed her shock aside and asked Ghillie what the friend looked like.

"Long white hair, haughty posture."

"Malfoy." She nearly hissed as she thought about that despicable boy.

"Yup, that's the one."

Eviena's grip tightened around her wand and when she heard her roommates enter the room she quickly reinforced the noise charms around her bed.

She was angry that Tom was associating with Abraxas after what he did but then she decided that it was best to let it go. If Tom was truly done with her after tonight then what did it matter.

"But now is not the time to talk about him. Tonight you face the banshees and you must be prepared."

Ghille Dhu went back over all of the safety precautions she was to take and when the clock struck twelve she wrapped a cloak around her shoulders and he escorted her to the forest edge.

"I can't follow you."

"I figured." Eviena cast a quick warming spell on herself and the shivering creature.

She pulled the knife out from the inside of her cloak and began to walk into the woods but stopped just short of losing Ghillie.

"Just remember to ask questions about the door, and don't fall for their tricks!" he called out before disappearing into the snowy back drop.

The wind picked up and Eviena traveled deeper into the forest, wand and knife out.

She found a small clearing and drew a large enough circle around her in the snow. She closed her eyes and pushed her magic outwards until she came across the object she sought. Live objects accepted magic, dead ones took much more force. She flicked her wand and a large dead wolf with its throat severely traumatized floated through the woods and laid itself little ways from her circle.

She closed her eyes and with the dinner knife, sliced into her palm. The red drops of blood stained the snow. For a time she waited, every now and again stretching her palm and adding to the blood spatters, but after a few hours there were still no signs of a banshee.

She racked her brain for anything she could have missed but could think of nothing. Her felt her eyes grow heavy with sleep, and after time stood, and brushed the snow off her backside.

She was just about to walk away when she saw fog begin to seep through the trees and fill the ground around her, but her circle stayed clear it. The fog washed over the wolf and she felt the presence of more than one being.

"Tell us child, what is it that you seek?" four elderly voices spoke at once.

Immediately Eviena knew she was in trouble.


	15. Not an Update

**NOT AN UPDATE, I REPEAT, NOT AN UPDATE**

**I just wanted to thank everyone for reading the story and taking the time out to review. You have no idea how much I appreciate the reviews and how much encouragement they give me. I am still working on my own novel but I will not abandon The Doll and will continue until the very end. I expect to update by Tuesday/Wednesday and I am pushing for 2 chapters this time so we shall see how that goes.**

**I thought about answering some of the questions that were brought up in the review section, but then decided not to. I want you to be surprised, at least a little bit. **

**All I will say is, there will be a reconciliation (not saying how long) but eventually Tom will do something that is going to cement the outcome of their relationship. But luckily there will be some time before that faithful day comes.**

**Also I've started a blog (literally just started). This is the link and please feel no pressure to hit it up, sometimes it's just nice to know that someone else in the world is struggling with the same stuff you are. LINK- **.com/

**Hope all is well and everyone is enjoying summer and please remember that whether you comment or not, I am going to finish this story if only for the fact that you all have been so kind and amazing.**


	16. The Red Snow Pt1

Eviena gripped her wand tightly and attempted to keep her wits about her. No one had mentioned more than one banshee coming and she knew nothing good could come of four showing up. Banshees were vicious creatures and she was unsure how wizard magic would work against them if something happened.

"Now, now young one, you summoned us. What is it you want?" The four banshees spoke in unison, their voices ranging in pitch.

Eviena's eyes struggled against the fog but she could only see four dark outlines.

"I..I want to know the location of the door." said Eviena in a stronger voice than she thought herself capable of.

"The door? So many doors, how do we know what _door you seek_?" said one banshee in a low raspy voice.

"You know what I speak of." retorted Eviena. "I gave you the offering, tell me where it is."

"Tisk, tisk hafling. Do you honestly think we do not know who you are, Queen of the Unseelie." A high pitched voice chuckled.

"Why do you think that?"

"Your blood is both new and old, ancient. Only the royals possess that blood. True royalty in the world of the fey lies in the blood and without it you have no right to rule us."

"Then tell me where the door is."

"We are not foolish, the queen in your place would hunt us down and kill us without mercy." All four voices hissed.

Eviena shifted uncomfortably, the fog a bit disorienting. "Tell me where the door is and I promise you I will tell no one and no action taken against you while under my rule."

"Cute halfling, we don't want your rule. She allows chaos and disorder all to stare at herself in the mirror, she allows us to do as we wish, no rules. For so long we were cursed to roam alone but under her we can travel together, hunt together, speak together." Said the voices.

"Fine, then tell me where the door is and when I regain my crown I will not have every single banshee hunted down and killed." growled Eviena.

"Oh look, she has teeth. Good Halfling, you will need them. Bark will only get you so far with this kingdom." One voice spoke.

Eviena pointed her wand at the dead offering and created a bright green shield around it. The light from it being just enough for her to catch glimpses of the tattered rags the banshees wore as they circled around her. Their faces remained hidden.

The banshees howled in unison and their movements quickened.

"That is ours." They cried.

"No, that is mine." She responded. "If you won't help me, then I'll go find a troll."

"Give us back the creature." They moaned.

"Why? Why is this creature so important. I'm sure there are other's in this forest."

"We cannot hunt such creatures and the flesh of other fey is repulsive. We are not allowed in magical woods, the magic of witches and wizards is forbidden to us. But when such offerings are given to us, we are not forbidden to take."

"Then tell me where the door is?" She asked again.

"The trows, find the trows. They know where the door is, they help guard it." the voices moaned.

"What are trows, and where can I find them?"

"Deep beneath the ground is where they dwell. Find a dead willow tree and they won't be hard to find from there."

Eviena closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. She let her shield dissipate and looked into her foggy surroundings.

"Take the offering and leave these woods!" she shouted, her urge to escape the situation to strong to ignore.

"Fine Halfling. But be warned, our current queen is stronger then you and all those little conspirators think." The voices laughed.

The fog began to recede and Eviena waited with bated breath as the trees came back into view. She looked around but against the snow it was hard to determine whether all traces of fog were truly gone. She saw no traces of the banshee or her offering and after waiting a few more minutes, she rewrapped her cloak but did not put her wand away.

Eviena stepped out of her protective circle and jogged back towards the castle. Not bothering to cast a warming charm so that the cold air kept her alert, her fingers had grown numb and her wand slipped from her fingers.

She quickly bent down to pick it up, her eyes growing wide when she saw the thin layer of fog covering her wand. Too far a away from her protective circle, she thought to draw a new circle but before she could complete it, a heavy force knocked her hard a against the trunk of a tree.

Eviena fought to regain her breath. She threw a shield over with the use of her wand but it had no effect as two banshees in tattered black cloaks came at her, clawing at her body and tearing apart her clock and dress.

"Stupify." She screamed, pointed her wand at an oncoming banshee, but it had little effect.

"Silly girl." The all laughed.

Eviena threw a number of hexes and spells, but they had little effect and soon she was surrounded.

She didn't understand why nothing had worked and she was quickly running out of options.

The cold air bit at her exposed skin and the scratches left by the banshees burned with each passing moment.

With little thought, Eviena threw the last curse she could think of.

"Avada Kedavra." She screamed at the banshee ahead of her.

The creature fell to ground with a thud. Its face was sunken in and deteriorated, with empty holes where her eyes should have been.

The remaining three banshees rushed towards Eviena, knocking her to the ground and capturing her wand. She heard snapping noise high above her and then saw the pieces of her wand drop in front of her.

"You will pay for your offense." The screeched.

The creatures let out an ear piercing scream and Eviena scrambled to her feet.

She focused on her wandless magic. Without her wand the killing curse proved difficult so she threw all of the curses she could remember and ran away from the banshees as fast as she could.

She threw up a useless shield around herself and hoped she was running in the right direction. She could feel the creatures' presence as they pursued her, she could hear their screeches and their movements through the trees.

Her heart leapt at the sight of the thinning wood, and the sight of the castle. Her feet pushed harder against the ground and fought against the pain radiating from the banshee scratches.

She was just about to break through the last of the trees, when one of the banshees clawed into her back, causing her to scream out in pain. She knew it would be unwise to fall in the woods so with one push, aided with a bit of magic, she threw herself out of the forest, collapsing just a few inches away from the borderline.

Eviena's breathing was hard and ragged. She was in too much pain to pull another useless shield over her broken body, but luckily the banshees did not pursue her.

She saw their outlines as they watched her.

"The poison from our talons will kill you slowly, halfling." A deep voice crowed.

"You took away our sister, it is only fair." Another banshee added.

Eviena coughed and a brilliant splatter of blood that stained the snow. She glanced down at her scratched and bloody limps, her blood spilling onto the snow. The wind picked up and the snow began to fall harder.

"We will leave you here to die. Your magic prevents us leaving this wood."

Evie coughed again, spitting the blood out of her mouth. "I w-w-won't die. I-I am g-going to k-kill you." she croacked.

The banshees let out a shrill laugh and vanished, leaving Eviena to die in the snow.

"Vahn, Vahn." She coughed out.

Eviena attempted to lift herself up but she quickly collapse back into the snow. Tears stung at her eyes as the pain intensified.

"Vahn." She cried out. "Somebody, anybody."

Eviena laid there for a time, the snow piling on top of her. She closed her eyes and wondered what would happen if she never reopened them. Would her aunt cry at her funeral, would Tom even bat an eyelash at her dead corpse? Would the fey suffer without her?

She thought of Ghillie Dhu and Vahn, the idea of never seeing them a again proved painful. She had never truly thought about it until now, but they had been with her in some way or another for her entire life, and she couldn't leave them. She couldn't accept death without a fight. Not when so many depended on her. She couldn't give up on them all. Vahn, and the others, she wanted to see them again, see them happy.

As she lay dying on the snow she couldn't help but wish for Tom. If she needed someone to save her, it is now more than ever and as much as hated to admit it, she wanted his comfort, she wanted him to save her. For as strong as she had grown since at Hogwarts, she was still afraid of what would happen if she slipped back into herself, back into her depressing thoughts filled with self loathing and bad memories. Tom's presence made her stronger, less afraid of facing all the bad things, because she knew he would be there if she faltered.

"Tom." She croaked.

Eviena pulled her strength and focused all her magic on the tree in front of her.

"Incendio!"

Eviena coughed once more and began to lose consciousness, before her eyelids fluttered shut one last time she saw a small fire break out at the base of the tree and hoped someone would come for her.

**It's too short right? Don't worry, so much more to come. I just need some more time to perfect Tom's state of mind when he sees her in that current state, and he will see her. Now the question is this, would you all prefer shorter chapters (6-8 pgs/ this chapter is only 5 1/2) and faster updates or longer chapters (12-16) and slower updates.**

**The choice is yours. And don't worry, you won't have long to wait for the 2****nd**** part of this chapter. **


	17. The Red Snow Pt2

Tom strolled through the halls as usual when his thoughts kept him from sleeping. Currently, many pressing thoughts ran through his mind. The fact that he had yet to make a horcrux bothered him, and he attributed this delay to a certain girl that he was unwilling to let go of.

Sure this new strength of hers and outspokenness bothered him at times, but he had to admit that if he was to spend intimate time with someone, she might as well be strong enough to hold her own. Besides, with all of the dark magic Tom planned on learning once he left the stifling halls of Hogwarts, it would only be a matter of time before he was stronger than her.

This thought made him slightly more cheerful, but then when he remembered their breakup his hand immediately itched to curse something.

She wasn't allowed to leave him. Granted, he was the one that ended it, but he didn't mean it. He wasn't willing to chance her being with another. And what was worse, he didn't really want to imagine life without her. She added a certain something to his life, and although it was a good something, he refused to explore it. A dark lord couldn't be in love with someone. Although he was sure he had yet to face that emotion with her, he feared it would only come with time, and then what would he do.

Tom quickened his stride. He was growing annoyed. She had been right about one thing, if she wasn't so damaged and broken like him, he wouldn't feel nearly as strong about her as he did. But it was nice being around something so beautiful on the outside and so horribly disfigured on the inside, she was like him, except she lacked that small sadistic quality. Hopefully, he thought with a sigh, she would develop that quality and then he could share with her his secrets.

Tom pulled out his wand and began to twirl it between his fingers. He needed to think of a way to make her understand, make her follow him no matter how deep he fell into darkness. Tom hoped his lack of prying with regards to her continuing her quest for the fey would soften her. In all earnest he didn't really plan on doing much with the fairies. For it to be found out that the dark lord grew strong from pink pixies would be an absolute embarrassment. Of course he did remain interested in the fey, he would contain his quest for their knowledge until it wasn't such a sore subject between them.

He continued to think of her and how he would gain back her trust, but before a brilliant plan could formulate, a rush of students came charging at him.

Tom moved against the wall as the students filled the hall in their nightclothes. He reached out and grabbed a short little first year.

"What's going on?" asked Tom.

"The forbidden forest! Its on fire!" the little boy said in excitement, scrambling to get out of Tom's grip.

Tom let him go and made his way to the entrance of the castle, where he found the mousy Ravenclaw head girl and lump of an oaf head boy attempting to keep all the students back. None dared make their way out of the courtyard but Tom wanted a closer look.

He cast a quick disillusionment spell over himself and quickly made his way down towards the forbidden forest.

Tom stared in awe as the ravenous flames rose high into the air, consuming the tall trees and spreading with haste through the rest of the forest. Teachers, clad in their night gowns were fighting the blaze and Tom watched on in amusement as the old fools attempted to stop it. He was particularly amused by Headmaster Dippet, who's scrawny legs and saggy behind were completely exposed as the winter wind blew up his night gown.

They weren't very far away from the black lake and Tom wondered why they weren't using the readily available water, but the he saw it, silver streaks within the fire. He knew then that water would do little to help.

He thought about helping but then decided he had enough of playing the hero for a while. With a flourish he turned on his heels and proceeded back to the castle but then he heard it, a sound that made his insides constrict in pain.

His head snapped in the direction of the scream, her scream. He had heard her scream plenty of times before when awaking from a nightmare. But this scream was different, this was a scream of pain.

He ran in the direction in her scream, freezing when he saw her.

Dumbledore and Madame Borjik were hovering over her, the snow beneath them stained with blood.

She let another heart wrenching scream out when the healer cast a spell on her.

Tom made his way to her side and knelt down before her. Her skin was stark white, the cloak and dress she wore were shredded to bits, and she was covered in deep scratches, a particularly nasty scratch across her back that was pouring blood.

"Mr. Riddle leave. It is not safe." Dumbledore said in a hard voice. The old man looking more troubled than Tom had ever seen him.

Tom ignored the old man and went to touch her but an aged hand grabbed his arm.

"Do not touch her. Whatever poison courses through her body, it makes touching for her painful.

He looked down and Eviena's agonized expression. Her eyes were shut tight and her clenched fists shook, along with the rest of her body.

"We take to infirmary now." Madame Borjik levitated Eviena from the snow, blood dripping from her wound.

"Do something for her!" Tom snapped.

"Her body is reacting violently to our magic, we must bring her indoors."

Tom gave a stiff nod and looked down at the large puddle of blood in the snow. He didn't know how much longer she would last if their magic did not work.

Dumbledore led the way with Madame Borjik behind her and Tom at her side. Dumbledore cast a shield around them that surround them with mist. Tom was thankful for this, he wanted no one to see her in such a state.

They made their way to the infirmary where they attempted to lay her down on a bed but she shrieked at the contact.

Madame Borjik flourished her wand and Eviena hovered above the bed. Dumbledore mumbled a quick spell and the skin on her body was cleaned of blood. With another quick movement her tattered clothes disappeared and bandages wrapped around her body, causing her to scream again.

"Tom, I think it best you leave."

"No. I will not leave her."

"Do you know what could have caused this?"

Tom thought about telling him of her involvement with the fey but decided against it unless it was his last resort. He didn't want that old fool in their business. Besides, by the look on Dumbledore's face it looked as if he already thought Tom guilty.

"When I left her after dinner she was fine." said Tom with a slight tinge of anger.

Tom looked at her and saw the bandages already stained with blood.

"Professor you have to help her. She's going to die!"

Tom felt his magic swirl within the pit of his stomach, demanding release. He was helpless and she was dying in front of him. When he saw Myrtle die he thought nothing of it, barely batted an eyelash. But watching Eviena slowly leaving him was unbearable. She wasn't allowed to leave him, he wouldn't allow it.

Tom watched Madame Borjik pour a blue potion into Eviena's mouth. For a moment he thought it was having some effect. Her shaking lessoned and she opened her eyes a bit. But just as they were read to breathe a sigh of relief, Eviena began to heave violently, retching the contents onto the floor before screaming out again.

Dumbledore raised his wand over her and mumbled a long incantation Tom had never heard before. Eviena let out one last scream before her body fell limp in mid air.

"She has been rendered unconscious. Unfortunately, we do not know what attacked her and must send her to 's." Dumbledore sighed.

He changed her bandages and looked out the window. "I will return shortly, that fire must be put out before it does unmanageable damage."

"You can't leave, you need to help her." Tom growled.

"We have done all we can. Anymore interference could kill her." Dumbledore turned to Borjik. "Send an owl immediately to 's and tell them every detail of her condition."

The woman nodded and Dumbledore left the room with one last troubled look at Eviena.

Borjik placed her hands on Tom's shoulders. "You should sleep, ."

Tom pulled up a chair next to Eviena's bed and sat. "And you should go write that letter." he said in a rather nasty tone of voice.

The portly Bulgarian woman scuttled off, mumbling something about how rude he had been, but he didn't care.

Hours past before the fire was extinguished. People came in and out, Dumbledore, Dippet, Slughorn. But their words of comfort and concern fell on deaf ears and Tom didn't waste his time with them.

Dumbledore sat with them for a while, awaiting the 's healers, but when they did not show, he decided it best to pay them a visit.

The dawn was just breaking on the horizon when Tom thought it best he close his eyes for a moment. Hoping that when he reopened them someone would be able to save her.

She was still unconscious but she continued to tremble in pain and tears fell from her eyes.

Every now and again Madame Borjik would change her bandages with a solemn expression, but she said nothing to Tom.

Despite his best efforts, his lids began to droop and his body grew heavy.

"Standing in front of you I don't find you at all as menacing as you portray yourself." A clear male voice mumbled.

Tom hoped from his seat and pulled his wand on the stranger. His pale skin and look black hair making him look like a distant relation to Eviena.

"Who are you?" Tom asked, the man's attire looking far too woodland for him to be considered a student.

"I am Vahn and you should put that stick away before an accident occurs." Vahn smirk and turned slightly so that Tom could see the sword at his side.

"Are you one of those fairies?" Tom asked with a sneer.

"Yes. Now lower your wand before I glammer you and believe me you are going to want to be of right frame of mind when I tell you what I need to."

Despite his better judgment, Tom put his wand down but stayed in a defensive stance. He remembered the way the kelpie interfered with his thoughts and he never wanted that happen again.

"Talk quick." Tom growled, shooting a worried glance at Eviena.

"She has time. The banshee poison would have killed her instantly if not for her human blood."

"How do you know they were banshees?"

"I know everything she does, I am her protector." Vahn answered.

"Protector?" Tom spat. "Where were you when she was mutilating herself and contemplating suicide?"

"I was there, but interfering in matters that were not life threatening would look suspicious to my queen and place her in great danger."

"And what about tonight?"

"I could not leave my post." He said with down cast eyes. Shame in his features.

"Then why are you here now?"

Vahn pulled a white plant from behind his back. The blossom opened in his hands, a silver liquid pooling in the middle.

The fairy tipped the contents into his mouth and walked over to Eviena. Her body lowered itself onto the bed and Vahn brought his lips to hers, spilling the contents of his mouth into hers. The morning light was beginning to creep into the infirmary, the rays causing the fairy's skin to shiver.

He stood and looked down at her. A look of longing in his eyes that Tom did not appreciate.

"She will live now. It will take her time to recover, but she will live." He said quietly.

Tom lifted his wand. "Thank you. Now why shouldn't I kill you?"

"Because, she'd know and she'd never forgive you."

Tom lowered his wand again.

"Why are you revealing yourself to me?"

"She has been charged with a very special task and after tonight, I see that it is a burden she cannot take on alone."

"What task."

"You mustn't ask. It puts you both in grave danger."

"Then how do I help her."

"You tell her that you know what she is doing and that you will help her."

"And if she refuses?"

"I've watched the way you lie to others."

Tom scoffed. "You want me to mistreat her?"

"No, I want you to let her know that she is not alone and that you will help her without asking for anything in return."

"Why would I not ask for anything?"

"Because" the fairy sighed. "Breaking your soul apart is a tricky business and to do it seven times is a death sentence. I can help you with that."

Tom was a bit taken back by all this fairy knew about him but he didn't let it show.

"How do you create a horcrux?"

"I cannot tell you, I can only help you once you decide to do it." Vahn told him.

Tom walked over to Eviena and saw that her trembling had stopped.

"She won't let me help her."

"Convince her. For the next time she is in such a predicament, I may not be able to save her. If you fail to gain her trust, there is always the unbreakable."

"How do you know of that?"

Vahn smirked. "I may not be able to use your magic, but it does not mean don't read about it."

Tom brushed a piece of her hair away and saw the fairy's posture go rigid.

"You will help me?"

"I cannot tell a lie, if I say I will help, I will help."

Tom thought about it for a moment. He could learn of some new magic, while furthering his own plans, and he could remain close to Eviena and keep the secrets to a minimum. It seemed like a decent option. And Eviena had mentioned in passing that fairies could not lie and it took her great effort to do so at times.

"By the look on your face I can see that my offer is pleasing. When she is well, I shall send someone to tell her it is okay to trust you with her secret." Vahn placed the flower next to her head on the pillow.

"She will know I was here, but you must say nothing about meeting me. If she knows, she may ask what we discussed and I could never lie to her."

Vahn gave a slight nod of the head and began to leave the room.

"What happens when she completes her task?" Tom asked.

"You will both have to choose between your destiny and each other." He answered without sparring a backwards glance.

Tom looked down at Eviena and when he looked back up, Vahn was gone.

A few moments later Madame Borjik shuffled in.

"Why is she lying on the cot?" she shrieked, placing Eviena back into the air.

She ran her wand over Eviena's body and a look of surprise crossed her face.

"I don't understand it. But she is healing."

Madame Borjik checked beneath her bandages and saw the scars healing and the blood on the bandages no longer fresh.

"I must call Dumbledore and the headmaster." The woman shuffled off and Tom sat with Eviena in the quiet.

She was going to live, and he would soon have the answers to creating his horcruxes. Mind you, he did not fully trust the fairy, but he had saved her and at the moment he was Tom's only lead on splitting his soul seven ways.

####

Eviena attempted to move her limbs but she couldn't manage the action. The searing pain that attacked every nerve ending in her body had ceased, but she was still cold, very cold.

She opened her eyes a sliver and looked around. She was in the infirmary but had no memory of how she got there. It was night time and there was someone sleeping in a chair beside her, Tom.

Her heart began to drum and she wondered if he was the one that found her. He looked so peaceful, so innocent, she wished he could stay like that forever but she didn't waste time on that wish.

When her limbs continued to refuse her and she could not speak, she decided to close her eyes and sleep. She fell into a deep sleep that was dreamless filled with darkness, but it was a comforting darkness. A darkness that allowed her to rest peaceful rather than be fearful of what images her mind would trap her in.

She felt a warm hand on her arm and opened her eyes.

Tom looked up at her with concerned but soft look.

"You look awful." She mumbled. She attempted to sit up was unable to. He quickly came to her rescue and helped prop her up with pillows.

"You've been out cold for five days. What do you expect for me to look like?"

Tom sat on the side of her bed and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck. "Don't you ever scare me like that again." he said before kissing her gently on the lips.

Eviena smiled but said nothing, she wasn't going to tell him about the banshees, it would only lead to conflict.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly.

"Don't worry, we don't need to talk about it just now." he reassured.

"Thanks."

She looked down at her nightgown clad body, her back was still heavily wrapped in bandages. When she looked at Tom, he had deep bags beneath his eyes and his hair wasn't neatly combed and parted in its usual manner.

"You should go sleep."

"I'll sleep soon enough. Madame Borjik said once you were awake you can leave this place. But Dumbledore and Dippet have agreed that you should go home early to rest." Tom growled.

"You're mad?"

Eviena was steadily growing annoyed, she didn't want to fight with him.

"Do you want to go home?"

Eviena knew that wasn't what he was truly asking her. He was asking if she wanted to leave him. She placed her hand over his.

"After the pain subsided I was still trapped and couldn't wake up, but I never stopped thinking. I want to go home, there are some things I need to take care of."

He pulled his hand away. "Fine."

"You didn't let me finish." She sighed. "I want you to come home with me."

"Why?"

"Don't worry, I plan on coming back to Hogwarts, but now that I'm seventeen, I want to get out of my aunt's house and I want to sort out my affairs."

"Only those getting ready to die say such things."

"I almost did. But that isn't the reason I want to go back. I've decided that I need to figure some stuff out, starting with life beyond these walls. I can't live each second hoping to survive the next. I need to start planning."

She watched him sink deep into thought. "I know that you are still associated with the fey. I know that it was them who hurt you."

Eviena's breath caught and she grew nervous. She worked so hard to keep him away from her world, but he probably knew the entire time what she was doing. She would have lied to him, but she was too weak to muster the energy.

"Tom, I…I know I kept this from you, but you would've gotten hurt too. And I didn't want you involved."

"I know no matter what I say or do, you will continue to interact with them. And I know you are looking for something. Let me help."

"No." she snapped. "I mean…I know what this will lead to. You won't be able to control yourself."

Tom looked out the window. "I don't want their magic anymore, I can find my own. Besides I won't chance losing you again and if you insist on doing this then I want to be close to you."

Eviena opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand to stop her. "We don't have to finish this conversation now, but don't be impossible. We've gone through too much for me to abandon you over some pixie magic."

She said nothing, only watched him as he watched her.

"I will go home with you but only if you consider what I offer. Deal?"

Eviena saw no harm in a agreeing to think about it, but she wouldn't let him interfere, not when she had come so close to finding the door.

"Fine." She said quietly.

"Good. Now I will go get Madame Borjik so that we can leave this place."

Before Eviena could speak he was gone. Soon Madame Borjik was on her, examining her in great detail behind a screen away from Tom's eyes. After a bit of fussing and praising Merlin, she let Eviena go but not before making her promise to go visit 's for a checkup while she was home.

With Eviena dressed in a plain black dress they walked back to the dungeons. They said nothing until they reached the portrait hole.

"If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, or says anything to upset you, tell me."

Eviena looked over at him. "I'll be fine. Promise."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You have 30 minutes to pack and then we leave."

"Don't you have to ask Dippet for permission?"

"He'll be compliant, don't worry." He said with a smirk.

They entered the common room which was virtually empty due to lunch time. The few people there paid them little mind and kept their heads down.

She made her to her dorm room where she hoped she'd be alone, but she wasn't.

Preva sat up and dried her eyes when she came in. "Oh it's you, I heard you died." She hissed.

"Wishful thinking."Eviena responded.

She walked over to her trunk and began to pack.

"Leaving? Alphard said your aunt and uncle didn't want you."

Eviena ignored her and continued to pack.

Preva took a few steps closer to her. "You're just a miserable half blood. Why would your family want you back, polluting our circle."

Eviena grabbed the book Elsie the sprite and packed it along with the letter her aunt sent.

"I just don't see it, what makes you so special to these silly little boys?" she mocked.

Eviena took a deep breath and attempted not to snap but she was losing the fight.

She walked into the bathroom and grabbed a few of her things, the charms she placed around them making the resistant to any tampering or sabotage. She glanced at her reflection.

She was paler than normal and her cheeks drawn in a bit. She also noticed for the first time that her dress didn't quite fit right and hung a bit loose.

When she reentered her room, Preva was reading her letter.

Eviena couldn't contain her anger and the nearly healed wound on her back began to ache. She stomped over to Preva and snatched the letter away.

"Just because you let Malfoy make you his whore and allowed Alphard to talk you into having an abortion does not mean you have the right to go around making others feel inferior." She snapped.

Preva took a step back. "How dare you speak to me like that. We all know what you've done with Riddle."

"You're the disgrace to your family and I would remind you to hold your tongue before someone writes your mother a very detailed letter. Magical abortions leave a trace; it would be very easy to discover you had one." Tom hissed.

He shut Eviena's trunk and levitated it to the door. "Next time you decide to be malicious, please remember that throwing rocks in a glass house is not wise, especially when you never know who may throw them back."

Tom grabbed Eviena's hand and stomped out the door. He grabbed his trunk along with hers and proceeded to Dippet's office.

"I'm writing that letter."

"Don't, I can handle myself."

"Well I thought I'd intervene before you made her head explode like you nearly did to Malfoy."

Eviena pulled her hand away. She now remembered her conversation with Ghillie.

"What's wrong?"

"Malfoy, you talk to him. And don't deny it."

"I do, but we are not friends."

"Then what are you?"

"He has something that I need and don't worry, he will never again lay a finger on you." Tom reassured.

"That doesn't make it better Tom."

He took a step closer. "I will never forgive him for attempting to hurt you and one day he and his entire family will pay, but for now I need you to trust me. I promise you that it will all be explained to you sooner than you think."

Eviena stared out the window for a moment. She didn't want to fight with him, she didn't want to lose one of the few allies she had.

"Fine." She mumbled.

When Tom decided he was satisfied with the answer the continued to Dippet's office where they found the headmaster and Dumbledore.

She looked outside and saw the trees were bare and chard. "Did I do that?" she whispered to Tom.

"Don't dwell on it, if you didn't you'd be dead."

"Tom, Eviena. I figured you both would be together." Dumbledore said quietly.

"Yes professor, Eviena has asked me to accompany her home and I have agreed." Tom replied.

"Very well" Dippet said quickly, anxious to return to whatever he was doing. "You will each use the floo network and Eviena's aunt is already awaiting your arrival."

They stepped over to the fire and took a handful of flew powder.

"Before you leave Eviena, I must ask you to come visit me once the holidays are over."

"Yes, professor."

Tom urged her forward and held on tightly to her hand.

They stepped into the fire and Eviena focused on her home. Simultaneously they threw the down and were transported along with their trunks, but not before seeing the smile on Dumbledore's face.

When they emerged from the fire the stepped out into a large dining hall with a long marble table, matching chairs, and a large chandelier.

"This is where you live?" Tom asked, his mouth slightly agape.

"Yes, this my home." She said quietly, fearing the drama the next few days would bring when Tom and her aunt and uncle understood the extent of planning, and just how much it would affect them all.

**Ignore minor errors here and there, please and thank you. Also, thanks again for the support.**


	18. In The Not so Distant Future

**In the not so distant future of Eviena and Tom…**

'Tom what's wrong?' Eviena said in near panic as he stalked toward her with blade in hand.

She found her back pressed against the cold wall and her heart racing with anticipation for what he might do. This person in front of her, she didn't know him. His eyes glowed red and the sickly pallor of his skin glistened with sweat. He had been fine when she had left him last night, but something had gone horribly wrong and as much as she wanted to believe fairies had played a part, she knew this was all his doing.

'Please Tom, don't make me use magic against you!' she begged, preparing for what she may have to do.

He laughed. It was cruel and maniacal. It made her blood run cold. "You think you can defeat me with your pixie magic? You think you can defeat the great lord Voldemort?" he asked with venom seeping off each word.

'Voldemort? Tom stop this, why are you doing this?"

In a flash he was in front of her, his arms extended on either side of her and the knife clinked against the wall. She could have screamed, but in the Chamber of Secrets no one would hear her, and she risked waking the Basilisk. Besides, she didn't want to scream, she wanted to know what had happened and where the boy she had fallen in love with had gone to.

He rubbed his nose up and down the length of her neck and breathed in deeply. She felt as if he was trying to suck away her last bits of composure, and she refused to let him do so.

'My Eviena.' he hissed. 'My dear, sweet, powerful Eviena. Do you think I would ever harm you?' he asked with a hint of anger. 'Do you think I would destroy something so precious to me; something so valuable?"

She shook her head. 'Then why did you bring me here? Why are we speaking of death and why are you so hell bent on scaring me?"

He placed his forehead against hers and sighed a tortured and labored breath. 'I never wish to be a part from you. I want you with me always and me with you. But I have a destiny and I know you will not take part willingly, not with the fairies nipping at your heels." his words were so quiet, the air threatened their very existence.

She kissed his lips but he was unresponsive. 'You won't lose me unless you want to. Tom, I love you. What else do I have to do to prove it?' Eviena said with tears sliding down her cheeks.

'You love someone who won't exist for much longer Eviena.' he snapped. 'I need something more assuring, something you can't break away from.'

'But I don't want to break away from you.' Eviena argued. 'Why can't you trust me?'

'I do trust you Eviena, that is the problem. I trust you to honor your promise to never kiss me with closed eyes. To turn away from me when I become something you can't stand to be around.' he said with glistening red eyes. 'I know you would stay with me if I remained as I am. But that isn't my fate and I want more.'

'Why can't I be enough? Why can't we just be together?" she cried.

'Because!' he snapped. 'Because I want more, I've always wanted more.'

Eviena stared down at her hands and watched the tears slip down her fingers, both his and hers.

'I gave up the fairies for you, I saw what they could do and I gave them up to protect you. To protect us.' she gathered her courage and looked him in the eye. 'If I'm not enough for you then let me go.'

Without warning he kissed her fiercely on the lips, his free hand fisting her hair to bring her as close as possible. When he broke away they were both panting and the curved dagger had been replaced by his pale wand. The tip rested at the center of her chest.

'I will never let you go. Your life and my life are now intertwined and not even death will break you from me.' he said with a collected voice. 'I'm sorry Eviena. Forgive me.' He half begged, half demanded.

Before Eviena could ask why he was apologizing she was struck with a violent pain in her chest that sent her to her knees. She gasped for air but it was pulling away from her. her fairy magic fell away from his as if afraid to touch and no matter how hard she tried to call it forth, it refused her.

Tom stood above her, just as menacing as when the confrontation first began. He was chanting something she didn't understand, something too dark and strong for her human side to fight. She felt as if something was being pulled away from her and being replaced by something that didn't belong. It was bitter and cold, it made it hard to breathe and as much as she tried to resist it was attempting to consume her.

She couldn't feel her limps and started to collapse towards the ground, but before her face could crash into the pavement two strong familiar arms saved her from further injury.

Standing on the tip of Salzar Slytherin's nose, Vahn held her protectively close with a murderous gleam in his eyes. Tom roared and shot a curse his way but Vahn dodged it with a small sideways step.

'You sick excuse for a man. How dare you make her a horcrux.' Vahn hissed.

Eviena tried to speak but couldn't. She was panicked once more. Tom had made true of his word and now the only way to kill him would be to kill her. He had made it impossible for her to ever leave him and violated her very soul for the sake of breaking his.

'You gave me the tools and I used them.' Tom growled. 'She will be mine forever, and the only way to kill me will be to end your precious fairy queen's life.' he mocked. 'You love her too much to think on that.'

Vahn looked down at her as he spoke. 'You are right, I do love her.' he admitted to Eviena's teary eyes. 'I've loved her for so long that I can count every second of her life and every smile that made her eyes grow bright. I loved her so much that I allowed her to be with you at the risk of her safety and in spite of my breaking heart. You don't deserve her Thomas Marvolo Riddle.'

She could picture Tom flinching at his name. 'On my dying breaths I will break your hold on her and I will be there when you face that moment of loss forever.'

'Impossible!' Tom snapped. 'No magic will ever take her away from me.'

Vahn smiled down at Eviena. 'You will never understand true love, and the lengths creatures will go to in order to preserve it. It will be your undoing. Mark my words.'

Tom went to speak but she interrupted him. 'Take me home. I want to go home.' she pleaded in a small voice that echoed through the chamber.

"You're leaving me?" Tom gasped in horror and surprise.

'No Tom,' Eviena whispered. "you left me."

The pain of her newfound loss was only rivaled by the cold, biting fingers of his magic settling in to the new unwarranted territory. Even after what he had just done and what he was becoming, she loved him.

Since the Forbidden Forest fire they had gone through so much and she never imagined he would go to such great lengths. In a flash every moment spent rushed past her: the finding of the Unseelie court, their battle with the Queen, the moment she almost lost him. All of those hardships endured together now lay in a heap at his feet. He had shattered it all and picking up the pieces would prove too dangerous and costly. Would this be there end, would he become the monster he desired to be, and would he never let her go? They were answers that couldn't be answered and she didn't want to know at the moment. She just wanted to escape it all, she wanted to find the air that she had been deprived and grieve over her loss someplace safe from everything but her thoughts.

Vahn seemed to sense this and whisked her away in a flurry of light and vibrations. In her last moments in the chamber she felt it, the thing she had always doubted was there. His love, his devotion, and his current heartbreak. It was too much to stomach and compounded with her own emotions, she fainted into her protector's arms.

**SORRY! But I had to stop living in the worlds of others and refocus on building my own. But I have to finish this and get it out my head. So get ready for some rapid updates because I truly am sorry and want to give a bit of closure to it all. **

**PLUS! Don't you want to know what happened that lead Eviena and Tom to this point. What pushed them to this point and is there any going back?**


	19. Trust Me?

Eviena quietly tip-toed down the grand staircase and made her way to the kitchens where a few house elves where busying themselves cleaning up after Tom and hers over the top, grandiose dinner that left them both in a heavy, catatonic state that was only broken when Tom suggested they go to bed. Eviena knew exactly what he had planned, it was all they had done in the three days of their uninterrupted game of 'playing house' as he put it. Mind you, Eviena didn't mind being with Tom in that fashion, especially after he got over the scaring of her back and began treating her with his normal prowess. But on this night, with no moon in the sky, it was time to find the Trows and the door to the Unseelie. She would have thought her encounter with the banshees would have put her off from the whole thing, but if anything she was more determined than ever to find the door that lead to her court.

Something that had started out as a mere desire to live amongst her people and not be treated like a commodity was now overshadowed by her overwhelming desire to see Vahn and Ghillie Dhu protected and removed from the grip of the unknown queen that saw her as a threat. Eviena was frightened by the prospect of facing the queen or killing her, but she had come too far and too much faith had been placed in her for her to just stop now.

She bent down and whispered to one of the elves who was scrubbing a pot almost as large as the elf herself.

"Mipsy, I need for you to make sure Tom stays in the house." she whispered with urgency, glancing at the doors and waiting for him to burst in at any second.

Mipsy ran her hands over the sleeves of the bolero jacket Eviena had given to her when she was eleven. "Mipsy doesn't think Master Tom would like that?" the elf mumbled.

"Master Tom?" Eviena scoffed. "Did he tell you to call him that?"

Mipsy nodded. "Said it was my place, and he's right Miss Eviena. He's right."

Eviena shook her head. "Tom is full of himself and no one is your master. You are a free elf." she reminded the unsure elf. "You are all free for that matter." She said, glancing around at all the elves with various articles of clothing. Her aunt and uncle nearly had a coronary when the saw what she had done, but she wasn't punished. They all felt she was too fragile for anymore punishment.

"We stay for you, mistress. We only want to keep you safe." The elf offered.

Mipsy had obscenely large blue eyes for an elf and long ears. Eviena was very aware that she had kept watch on more than a few occasions when her uncle saw fit to get drunk and make thinly veiled threats about tucking her in at night. Her aunt ignored these snippets of conversation and always managed to change to the topic to something along the lines of the weather or some bits of society gossip.

Mipsy was very dear to her, and she had made this very clear to Tom. Still, she doubted if he had been truly listening considering that he was in the middle of tearing off her bra.

"Just keep an eye on him okay? I've shown him the library and that should occupy him for a time." She shuttered to think of what dark magic he was discovering.

Mipsy nodded. "Be careful mistress. I know you are not fully healed."

At those words Eviena became acutely aware of the tender pink scars of her back. The memory of the injuries more than anything was the most painful part. She had been careless, and it would not happen again.

She patted the elf on the head and smiled. "I will be."

Eviena made a quick escape from the house and into the chilly night air. After an incident during WWI, charms had been placed on the house to make disapparating impossible. She had to make it to the edge of the ground in order to do so and with the estate being so big she decided it would be faster to run. She would have flown, but her uncle had broken her broom years ago when she set his cloak on fire after he took to bad mouthing her father.

There was a thin layer of frost of the ground and certain areas where muddy but she managed to avoid falling. She had stolen a pair of Tom's trousers and a wand from the family mausoleum at the edge of the estate that wasn't so resistant to her magic.

Her breathing became labored and she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. The moment she paused something hard collided into her and she began to struggle against the weight of something that was holding her captive.

"Let me go!" she demanded.

His grip tightened. "Will you just stop!" he growled.

Eviena stilled and he released her. He leaned on his heels, straddling her body and breathing heavily as he stared down at her. He ran a hand through his hair and glared at the wand in her hand. Tom's right side was covered in mud and she was remotely aware that she was lying in it.

"Going somewhere?" he asked in a menacing whisper but she didn't answer. In one fluid movement he snatched the wand from her hand, stood, and threw her over his shoulder.

"Seriously Tom, put me down." she said as the shock of being caught began to wear off.

"Keep squirming and you'll fall on your head."

"You wouldn't dare." She hissed. He walked through the kitchen, glaring at the poor frightened house elves.

"I'm sorry mistress, I didn't realize he had escaped." Mipsy called out as Tom continued to stomp through the house.

He slammed her bedroom door behind her and then the bathroom door. He set her roughly on her feet and then began to pace in the large white marble bathroom.

Tom tore off his jumper and then began unbuttoning his shirt. "I can't believe your stupidity Eviena, after all you've just been through you are still at it." he growled.

She stood there, awe struck as he stripped and scolded her at the same time.

He kicked his muddy shoes off and continued to pace. "I tell you that I don't want the power of the fairies. I tell you that whatever you choose I will stand by and protect you. Yet, here you are sneaking off in the middle of the night in my trousers and attempting to pursue something that has continuously put your life in danger."

"This isn't your cause, or your fight. I admitted to you what I was doing in the forbidden forest and you threw a tantrum."

"What am I supposed to do? Say how proud I am that you almost got yourself killed." he snapped. "I thought that by telling me the truth you were going to include me in your future plans, not make be chase you in the freezing cold."

Eviena stared down at her fingers. He had a point. But the only reason she had told him anything was because Ghillie Dhu said it would be wise to have someone from the wizardry world on her side, _and_ to use him as a human shield in case she were attacked again. Granted she would never use Tom in such a despicable way, after the kelpie she found it hard to think of Tom being hurt in the crosshairs. She immediately regretted telling Tom when she saw his reaction.

He was down to his boxers when he turned on the shower and the room began to fill with steam. He turned to her and slipped the cloak off her shoulders before working on her dress shirt.

"My entire life I have avoided human contact and emotion. It's all too messy, as you have shown me time and time again. But no matter what the cost I will not lose you, I will never let you go." He said in a more quiet, even tone as his hand skidded across the swell of her chest. "If I told you I was intentionally placing myself in harm's way to fulfill some nefarious goal, would you just let me?"

She chewed her lip for a moment and sighed. "No."

"Why won't you trust me?"

She looked up into his dark eyes and sighed. "It's not about trust at this point in time Tom. It's about keeping these two worlds separated as possible. I will not put you in danger."

He loosened the belt and let the trousers fall to the floor. "It's not your choice Eviena, it's mine, as are you."

"I knew I should have just drugged your food." she mumbled in defeat.

He didn't respond only smirked and captured her lips before pressing her against the wall with his body and making quick work with the rest of her garments. She gasped as her wandering hands came across his manhood pressing against her stomach. He smiled against her lips and halted his attentions.

"Let me help you, and I swear to you that if at any point you wish me gone I will walk away." He said in a breathless whisper.

"When has Tome Riddle ever walked away from anything?" she countered.

He smirked again and rested his forehead against hers. "Fair point Ms. Aviste. Maybe I can convince you once the mud is washed from your hair."

Tom picked her up and she instantly wrapped her legs around his waist to keep from falling. He walked into the shower and pressed her against the wall. The hot water showering down on the both of them.

"Eviena?" he said between kisses down her neck.

"Yes?" she muttered into his hair.

"Does it ever concern you that we have relations outside of marriage?"

His question shocked her, and she was left momentarily speechless. He peered down at her and waited silently for an answer.

"I know the gossip around school, it's far worse for you than me. I'm deemed a conquering hero whereas… well let's just say some fourth year Ravenclaws won't be having the best holiday after our little chat."

"Tom," she sighed and willed herself not to ask what he had done to the fourth years. "I know what they say and I don't care. I want to be with you, and even if we weren't _you know_… " she paused, the blush creeping to her cheeks. "They would still say those things."

"So they don't bother you?"

"No, and besides, would you stop sneaking into my bed if suddenly it were to bother me?"

"No, I'd simply scare everyone into silence." He shrugged unapologetically.

"Why are you asking anyways? You usually don't talk until after we are done."

He kissed her neck again and sighed. "Curiosity." he offered.

"Tom Riddle caring about another's feelings above his own? I'm slightly shocked."

Tom growled and captured her lip gently between his teeth. When he let go it was swollen and red. "Don't mistake the question for some sort of weakness. It's information needed to insure that no one is interfering or affecting what is mine."

"Stop with this _mine_ nonsense." she moaned against his lips as he began to stroke himself against her.

"Am I not yours Eviena? You are the only one I want, aren't I the only one you want?" he said in a strained whisper. Trying to control himself.

"Yes, the only one."

He hitched her leg around her waist and thrust into her. He captured her moans in her mouth and continued their tortuous trek to fulfillment. She wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to take the lead, as always.

"Eviena, let go." He growled as he pushed into with bruising force. His fingers caressed the scars on the inside of her thighs before moving upwards. She gasped and buried her head into his neck as her release seized her body and her limbs fell loose. He held her tight as he experienced his own fulfillment and bit gently into her shoulder.

"I will never tire of that." He mumbled into her hair. He gave her lips a chaste kiss and without another word began to wash her hair and body before handing the floral scented soap to her and gesturing for her to reciprocate. She noted that he took particular care washing around the healing scars on her back.

While she washed his back she began to wonder what exactly would happen once they left the shower and what her next course of action would be. She knew that with Tom it would be easier to just include him in her pursuit of the Unseelie court and take the repercussions as they came, but she still wasn't fond of the idea. And on top of that, he had taken to asking her strange questions about their relationship such as : if she saw herself with him forever, is she wanted to live with him after graduation, and her new favorite from tonight (does their lack of marriage and excess of sex bother her). He was preparing for something and with her attentions caught between him and the faeries, she was afraid of what would happen if she had to choose. Because she wasn't one hundred percent sure of which on she would pick if she couldn't have both. After their shower he led her into the bathroom and resumed his attentions before turning quickly and shoving her against his back.

Shocked, horrified, and embarrassed Eviena stared wide eyed at the thing that had Tom on edge. In the doorway stood her Uncle looking more enraged than she had ever seen and behind him stood his jaw dropped wife with belly protruding from her cloak.

"Hello Aunt." Was all Eviena could manage before Tom waved his hand and the door slammed in their faces.

"I guess the honeymoon is over." He said with a humorless laugh.

She knew this was going to be a very rough holiday from here on out.


	20. Run

In the early hours of the morning Tom paced, fully clothed and fully enraged. It was only a matter of time before Eviena's aunt and lecher of an uncle kicked him out and banished him back to that dreadful orphanage where the other children sneered at his "_strangeness"_ and cowered at the dark undertones of his demeanor. Granted, he hadn't hurt anyone since the time before Hogwarts, he still hated how he was forced to oppress his natural urge to force others into submission.

Eviena sighed and rolled over. She was wearing an emerald green nightgown that, if not for the shock of seeing her family, would surely have been torn to shreds on the floor. Tom smiled at this image. He was quite fond of the way Eviena responded to him, especially after protesting the way everyone treated her like a fragile doll. But beneath that nightgown he knew exactly where the banshee had scarred her and the thought of something that belonged to him being hurt by such vile beasts made his blood boil.

Tom would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't interested in the fey magic, or the talents he suspected Eviena was hiding from him. But at the moment he would allow her her secrets and he would never again allow her to take on the fey alone. Whatever it was that she was doing, it was big. At least, big enough for her fairy protector to trade his priceless secrets about horcruxes.

_Him, _Tom thought with a sneer. He didn't like the way he looked at her, or the clear devotion he had towards her. He didn't doubt Eviena cared for him, but he was concerned about a sudden change of heart when she discovered his desire to become the powerful dark lord he always envisioned himself to be and revealed his distaste for muggles. He would make her see things his way eventually, and if not, he still refused to let her go.

Eviena stirred and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Why do you have your wand out?" she asked with growing alarm.

He glanced down and quickly stored his wand away, he hadn't even been aware that he had taken it out. Tom sat down beside her and took a lock of black hair in hand.

He took a deep breath and met her curious gaze. He never fancied the idea of being with someone the way he was with her. But she had seen so many of the faces that he had hidden from the world, and yet she still stayed with him.

"Will you run away with me?" he asked with unwavering confidence.

Eviena shook her head and at once his blood began to boil and his heartbeat quickened.

He tried to pull away but she caught his hand. "You think they are going to kick you out, don't you?"

"Obviously." he hissed.

She got onto her knees and took his face in hand. "They wouldn't dare, not now anyways." she said with a dismissive gesture.

Before he could answer, she explained.

"This house may belong to the Forthript family, or rather my Uncle Aemon. But the fortune that keeps it running belongs to me. On my seventeenth birthday I came into my inheritance."

In one swift move Tom had her pinned to the bed, his nose just touching hers.

"And why is this news to me?" he asked with a twinge of annoyance. This was a rather large piece of information that she had not shared.

Eviena frowned. "I don't want to be a part of this world. Once I found out about the fey, I had no use for the money. The only reason my aunt and uncle are married is due to the fact that his family was broke and the Aviste family wanted more credibility in the Pureblood world. As first born, my father inherited the money and made sure to monitor it, now that he is gone and I am legal, the money is mine."

A nasty, greedy thought developed in Tom's mind. He pressed his weight against her and quickly found the hem of her nightgown. "Then let us run away. You don't need them, you have me."

Of course the promise of riches was alluring, but he also thought it would be beneficial to have her away from the family who cared so little for her.

Eviena, all alone, in a big house, with no interruptions: it would be the best Christmas he had ever had.

"We can't run, not yet anyways. No matter how my aunt may have acted, she is still my only living relative. This has been my home for so long."

Eviena bit her lip and looked away. "Don't be mad, but I don't want to cause her any stress with the baby so close to delivery."

"You shouldn't care Eviena." He hissed. His anger rose and he thought of only one way to convert his anger into something more pleasurable and productive.

He grinded into her and watched her eyes flutter shut.

"Would you like me better that way, if I just did what you said? Because I could never do that."

Tom stopped his ministrations and stared down at her. "You've never asked me to be anything than what I am, and if I didn't want you as is, I wouldn't be here."

Eviena smiled. "I figured as much."

"Besides, you'd be absolutely boring if that were the case. I'd just bed you and be done with it."

"How many girls have you been with Tom?" she asked with feigned innocence after a long pause.

He momentarily tensed. He knew this question would pop up eventually, but he had hoped she wouldn't have the courage to ask it. He had allowed her too many liberties. Anyone else would be afraid to ask such a question.

"Enough to know that I don't want anyone else." he grumbled.

"Would you like to know how many men I've been with?" she asked in a low and serious tone.

Tom leaned on his knees and gripped her thighs hard. He had no desire to hear if anyone had touched what was rightfully his.

"It's that fairy protector isn't?" Tom spat.

Eviena shot up from the bed and stared at him with wide accusing eyes. "How do you know about him? Have you been reading my mind again?"

"No! But regardless why didn't you tell me?" Tom growled with growing anger. She had no right to be mad at him when she was the one who kept the secret. At least he had told her he was hiding certain activities that he did not want her apart of.

"I told you, I don't want you to get involved and how do you know Vahn?"

"Because when you got sloppy and allowed those banshees to nearly kill, it was him who came to save the day. _Vahn._" Tom hissed.

Eviena's shoulders fell but before she could speak, Mipsy appeared with downcast eyes and trembling legs.

"The mistress and master wish to see you both for breakfast." she said quietly.

"Alright Mipsy, we'll be down soon." Eviena said in the placating tone one would use for a child.

Once the elf disappeared, Eviena turned to Tom. "I'm going to go get dressed." She muttered while marching towards the closet. "And I was joking, I've only ever been with you."

The muscle above Tom's brow twitched at the expression on her face. He really didn't like it when she was like this, and he didn't like it that he cared.


	21. Homecoming

They sat in silence for a long moment. Her uncle glared at Tom while her aunt pretended her pregnant belly was performing some marvelous feat. She could feel Tom's energies, they cracked with anxiety and anger. She still couldn't believe what had transpired earlier between them, or that she had expected an apology.

"Aunt I know my being here is unexpected, but after certain _events _at school," Eviena paused to make sure Tom did not elaborate. Her aunt would become hysterical, and she couldn't handle any of that at the moment. "Everyone thought it best that I return home for the long holiday. Tom is my boyfriend and I wanted him here with me." She finished with a sigh.

Tom glanced at her but said nothing.

"Eviena, I… to be honest I think I am just shocked at finding you with a boy and then discovering that you now speak. You sound exactly like your mother." she mumbled to herself.

"I know aunt and I am sorry."

"Sorry?" Aemon chuckled darkly. "You bring this _boy_ into my house, and fuck him under my roof, and you are sorry?"

"Aemon!" her aunt screeched.

Tom placed her hand on her thigh and squeezed hard. He was doing his best not to react and was quickly losing the battle.

"NO ALORA! How dare this little harlot attempt to destroy this family's reputation."

Before Eviena could speak, Tom did. "You will not speak to her in such a way." He hissed.

"Excuse me? If Alphard Black spoke correctly you are nothing but a no name half-blood and I am not into giving to charity cases."

"Enough!" Eviena jumped from her seat and all of the crystal goblets shattered. Her aunt squeaked and her uncle's face turned red. "How dare you speak of him in such a way. And you," she turned to her aunt. "how could you allow him to breathe even one word of that. If it wasn't for Tom I don't know where I would be, but it wouldn't be here. He's the only one that gave a damn even though it goes against everything he stands for."

"Eviena we care, we have always cared." Her aunt attempted to explain.

Her uncle snorted.

"You cared so much that you shipped me away just because _he _couldn't keep his eyes to himself." She snapped. She saw the tears brimming in her aunt's eyes and her anger began to abate. "I won't abandon him. Tom stays, or I go. Along with my money."

Aemon snapped upright and Tom did the same, placing his hand in his pocket where she knew his want to be stored.

"I will not be threatened by you, or your mutt."

"You don't have a choice." Eviena glared. Tom was hers, she would not allow anyone to belittle him. For all his faults and the darkness that lurked just beneath the surface, she cared for him and that was all she needed to know that this was one fight she would not lose.

Her aunt wobbled from her seat and tried to placate the situation. "Eviena, the reason your uncle reacts in such a way, is because the Black family has become a factor again in our lives."

At first Eviena thought to shoot down her aunt for defending her uncle's cruel words, but then she found something in her aunt's words that unsettled her.

"What do you mean, we haven't spoken to the Blacks' since my marriage contract was terminated?"

Her uncle gave a nasty smirk and walked from the head of the table to the side so she was facing Tom and Eviena.

"In light of your new found speech and the eldest Black's praise of your beauty and grades, Pollux and Irma see you now as the perfect fit for their son. The most perfect Black offspring will be produced." He smiled.

She felt Tom's breath on the back of her neck and his temper made her body hairs stand on end.

"I will never marry Alphard, and you cannot make me. We all know the Black family supports Grindelwald. He murdered my parents, how could you?"

"Eviena, please see reason in this." Her aunt pleaded. She probably wanted nothing more than to remove her permanently from the house after her uncle got a good view of her and Tom.

"No!" she grabbed Tom's hand and started to march off towards the door.

"You will not go anywhere with that boy and he will not stay in this house." Her uncle screamed.

"If you want to live in a mansion with no money then please kick me out, better yet I'll do it for you." She yelled back before slamming the door.

Before Tom could ask any questions Eviena had him at the edge of the property with borrowed wand in hand. She apparated to a deserted beach she had once visited with her parents in the south of France. There were shark warning signs all over the place and Eviena assumed that's why no one was there.

She let go of Tom's hand and began to pace.

"The nerve of them!" she screamed, picking up a shell and flinging it into the ocean. "To speak to you that way and for my aunt to do nothing as always. Then to try to force Alphard on me, when they were the ones that broke the contract. Not that I wanted to be married anyways but just SWEET MERLIN! After all the shit I've dealt with don't I at least get a choice in my future?"

She turned on her heels to find Tom watching her with a smirk and his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Stop smiling." she quietly demanded.

In three purposeful steps he was in front of her and hand her by the waist but she wouldn't look at him.

"Look at me." He nudged her neck with his head and she felt his smile against her skin. "No one has ever claimed me the way you did, and no one has ever defended me. Eviena, look at me."

She reluctantly rose her head to meet his gaze and instead found his lips pressed against hers. "What are you doing to me?" he chuckled.

Before she could answer there was a loud boom and the sound of guns and men screaming.

Tome held her tighter. "Eviena it's time to go." he said in a strained voice with wand out.

She silently chided herself for forgetting about the muggle war and quickly whisked them away to an expansive field with one lone and very large tree.

"Where are we now?" Tom asked, unwilling to release her.

"Some place outside of Little Hangleton. There's a pub someplace close that my father would take me for lunch at every now and again."

Tom's arms locked and he grew rigid.

"What's wrong?"

He looked down at her and shook his head. "Nothing, just feeling a bit nostalgic."

Tom walked forwards until her back was pushed against a tree. "After the way you stood up for me, and your rousing display on the beach, I feel as if I owe you an award."

He found the hem of her skirt and she began to squirm. "Someone will see us."

"I am not about to let that happen again." he said with lips pressed firmly on the skin above her heart.

She had begun to respond when an owl screeched from a branch high above them and dropped a letter with the Forhript family seal, a hawk with outstretched wings.

Tom set her on her feet as she tore open the letter.

"What is it?" he asked with creased brow.

"It's my aunt, she's gone into early labor. We have to go home."


	22. Goodbye

Eviena stood in the bathroom, door shut, and eyes trained on the reflection of floor length mirror. She hardly recognized herself. As customary for baptismal balls, she wore all black. The gown, chosen by Tom after an all too brief trip to Diagon Alley, was floor length. It flared at the bottom in a fit of black material just below the knee. Black lace covered the bodice and stretched down the full length sleeves, while a square cut out completely exposed her back. The neckline was modest and she wore her hair up in a chignon with tendrils falling here and there.

She was so wound up in the person staring back at her, she didn't here Tom enter the room or feel him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close.

"I obviously had a severe lapse in judgment when I grabbed this dress without looking. It is positively sinful." He cooed into her ear, but she was not really listening.

"I look like her."

Tom snorted. "Who, your aunt? She wishes."

She turned in his embrace. "No, my mother." She rested her head against his chest and felt him shutter beneath her. His new black dress robes felt crisp against her skin. "Tomorrow will be Christmas, and then after that everything is going to change. We both know it."

She didn't dare look at him. They had been discussing their future since her new cousin's birth three days ago. Eviena had made it clear that she would be pursuing the Fey. And Tom had made it clear that he was not leaving her side. Their trip to Diagon Alley had been for the sole purpose of finding more books on the fey, and although they came up with very little new knowledge, Tom had assured her that he held no fears about taking them on. He gave her strength that she didn't realize she needed to continue on.

He turned her chin upwards and placed a hard kiss on her bare lips. "When will you trust me enough to tell me what the end goal is?"

His features hardened and his eyes darkened. He seemed taller, more menacing. She hated how scary he could become when he wanted something.

"When will you trust me enough to tell me yours?" she countered. He had yet to elaborate on the little club of pure bloods he had assembled or their plans. If she was being honest, she wasn't really sure if she wanted to know. But as much as she didn't want anything to change between them, she knew everything would. Either she would find something out first or he would, it was nothing but a waiting game now. And no one would win.

Eviena wrapped her arms around him. "We should go down to the ball."

"Why couldn't they just send out a card in the post." He sighed. His fingers tracing the curvature of her spin before settling on her behind. "I can give you an early Christmas present if we stay here, alone."

She kissed the soft spot beneath his neck and felt a growl build in his throat. "No. We've already decided that after the holiday I am going back to Hogwarts with you and then over summer holiday we are moving far, far away. But tonight is for my aunt."

"You owe that woman nothing. You know as well as I that she would choose that filth of a husband over you any day." Tom spat.

Eviena took his face in her hands and tried to pull in his anger before it got out of hand. "I know." She admitted once more. "But I don't want my last memories to be bad. Not after the way I lost my parents."

He took her hands from his face and kissed them. "This new concept of compromising is not settling well." he smirked.

"I'll make it a point to reward you for your hardships in the near future. Now let's go."

With no more delay she lead him by the hand out and towards the grand dining hall that was now a grand ball room, bustling with activity. She hoped to make a quick and unnoticed decent down the stairs, but suddenly all eyes were on her and Tom's hand was now resting at the small of her back as they took each step with caution.

"We seem to be a commodity."

"I wish we were invisible." She muttered. "Why are they all staring at us?"

"Not us, you." He sneered. "The men want to bed you, and the women are caught between envy and wanting to gouge your eyes out."

"Suddenly the idea of you bedding isn't such a bad idea."

Tom attempted to suppress his smirk. "When is it ever?"

They were greeted on their last step by server hired for the event and Tom took two flutes of champagne and handed her one.

"You can't drink, you are under aged." She hissed as he took a long drag.

"There are a lot of things I shouldn't be doing. But just try and stop me."

Tom wrapped her arm around his and attempted to lead her away from the sea of black garments and pure blood looks of disdain. She had never been accepted by any of them. They all thought her silence a sign of snobbery, in this world of money and blood. She was never a victim, if anything if her mother and father had just given that monster what he wanted then the wizardry world would be free of mudbloods by now.

"V!" A familiar voice shrieked.

"And here I thought your family was more selective." Tom remarked.

As Eviena turned Vela collided into her with outstretched arms, knocking her out of Tom's grip.

"It's so good to see you here. I hate these things. The only reason I came was to see you. You nearly died and you didn't even say goodbye. But that's okay, all is forgiven. You look beautiful by the way I hate my dress, my mother picked it out and I think she is going blind." She ranted in one long breath. Before taking a step back.

She had her hair done up much like hers and wore a sleeveless black dress in a matte material that refused to catch any light. But she looked pretty, Eviena just wished Vela could see it too.

Vela looked Tom up and down. "Oh, we all thought they had finally caught you doing something horrible and that you'd been expelled."

"Wishful thinking." He remarked.

A tall woman with the same chestnut hair color as Vela and a stout man with similar facial features approached from the crowd.

"Vela dear, aren't you going to introduce us?" Her father quipped.

He extended his pudgy fingers and shook her hand with enthusiasm. "It's so good to meet Vela's friend, I am her father Norton Zabini. This is my wife Vienna."

Vela's mother regarded her coolly, a slight sneer playing at her lips and her hands trembled. "It seems Vela has been a bit too generous in her descriptions."

"Pardon?" asked Eviena.

"Vienna hold your tongue."

"Excuse my mother," Vela whispered. "My father found her stash of barbiturates and this is the first time she's been sober in months."

"Vela!" Her mother shrieked and stomped away.

Nortan grabbed Vela's arm and began to march away. "Velena, I have told you before about telling people of our private affairs." He hissed.

Vela shot her an apologetic look as she was led away, and Eviena doubted that she would see her again at the party. But she would be sure to write.

"Well at least that's over." Tom remarked.

"I feel bad for her, Vela never told me her mother was such a pill."

Tom took her hand and she took a sip of her champagne, the bubbles instantly went to her head. She should have eaten something.

"Onwards and into the snake's mouth." he abandoned her elbow in favor of her hand, and hoped that they would make it safely to some dark corner, but fate had other plans.

A boy with a long pointed face and dirty blonde hair approached them. He was about a head shorter than Tom and he knew he was a member of her house, but only knew his last name. Avery.

He lowered his eyes and shrank away from Tom's dead gaze. He didn't chance a glance at her. "Sir, we all received your letter and are awaiting your instruction at the designated meeting space."

"What meeting? Tom?" Eviena questioned.

He let go and turned to face her so that her view of Avery was blocked. "It's nothing to concern yourself about." His face was perfectly calm but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes and she knew Avery had revealed too much.

"That's a lie." She muttered.

He placed a soft kiss at the base of her ear. "There are things I cannot tell you, and things that I won't. But please believe me when I tell you that all will be revealed in time and not in front of this lot. Trust me?"

"Always."

He placed a quick kiss on her lips and marched past Avery, leaving him to scurry up behind him. They left through the servant exit and Eviena was left to stare after them and pray that he wouldn't do anything that she couldn't forgive.

Before her mind could formulate dark thoughts, the soft coo of her aunt's voice struck her.

"Eviena, my dear." Her aunt cooed softly, cradling her newborn daughter in her arms. She reached out a hand. "Come, say hello."

Eviena inwardly sighed and made her way to her aunt. The woman was positively glowing, and the weight from the baby made her look healthier than before.

"You remember Pollux and Irma Black. They are anxious to see you after so long."

Eviena was confronted with two people she had thought, and never hoped to see again. Pollux was tall with dark features and long hair. The resemblance between him and Alphard was uncanny, but there was something she didn't like about his eyes. It was a look that reminded her of Tom before he attacked her clothes.

Irma was much shorter and a bit rounder with her head held high and at least two stones of make up. Her and her husband could have been cousins. And probably were.

"Alphard was not lying about your beauty. Such stunning features for such a young girl." Pollux purred.

"Most definitely makes up for lack of pureblood. But no matter. I have faith in many sons. It is a fine match for Alphard." Irma remarked.

Eviena suddenly felt as though she was being appraised like an old painting, and she didn't like it.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand why there is such talk."

Her aunt laughed. "Don't be silly Eviena, we told you about the contract."

"You mean the contract that I rejected? The contract that I told you was not up for discussion?" Eviena challenged. The room felt hotter and she clenched her fists.

"Eviena!" Her aunt scolded. "You will mind your manners."

Pollux waived his hand dismissively. "A little bit of fire after such a long vow of silence is to be expected. She will give Alphard a run for her money." He laughed.

"And out of curiosity, do you still bankroll that monster that killed my parents?" Eviena spat. "Do you fancy inviting him to Alphard and I's wedding? Maybe he can regale you all with the tail of how he slaughtered them in front of me and left me paralyzed in a pool of their blood."

She turned to her aunt with a glare. "How dare you, how dare you completely ignore my feelings and ambush me."

"Eviena please, you are causing a scene." Her aunt hissed as she rocked the baby. "If you will excuse us."

Her aunt walked quickly into the nearby study and Eviena marched behind her. Leaving Irma and Pollux to sneer.

"Are you that desperate to remove me from your life now that you have Aureela?"

"Stop."

"No. You have to stop."

"Eviena you are growing up. You must start looking into your future, you cannot stay here forever. Aemon thinks this is best."

"Aemon can go fall in to a never ending pit of go fuck yourself."

"Eviena!"

Her aunt paced back and forth through the tall walls of books and polished wooden furniture.

"We raised you, since you were a child. But now you are a woman, it is time."

"Raised me? You didn't know what to do with me, you left me alone in that hell I created for myself and then when your husband started to take a harder look at me, you moved me to the furthest room in the manor and made polite small talk when we ate." She reminded.

"Is it so wrong that I want to keep my family whole. That I don't want to lose my husband over some silly misunderstanding?"

Eviena fell onto a plush armchair. "I am not your competition, I am your niece. And Tom was right. You would, you do choose him over me." She wiped a stray tear and stared at her hands in her lap.

"That's silly." Her aunt huffed.

"It's true. I thought you were on my side. But you are not. You are just selfish, and delusional to think that this baby will save your marriage. If it isn't me he's gawking at, it will be someone else."

"That's a lie." Her aunt refuted with a quivering upper lip.

"Then where is he, where is your husband on the day of his own daughter's party?" Eviena stood and walked slowly towards her aunt. She traced her fingers gently around her new cousin's face and watched her smile.

"I had hoped this day would be about celebration, and didn't want my last night in this house to be like this. You are my aunt and as my last, well one of my last relatives, I didn't want it to end like this. But I see now that there is no other way. I nearly died at Hogwarts and you didn't even send a card, you found out that I had been mutilating myself and you decided to talk about your lovely holiday. I hope for Aureela's sake that you learn what a mother is, because despite what you and your husband may boast to others, you were never one to me."

Eviena leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Goodbye, Alora."

With that she swept from the room and attempted to hold it together as she made her way through the intrusive crowd and towards her room.

When she finally closed the door she cupped her head in her hands and cried. She had always made excuses, ignored what was so painfully obvious to everyone including the houseelves. She was nothing more than an inconvenience to the last of her family members, her last real link to her father.

Two strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. He said nothing.

"You were right."

"This is one instance where I wish I wasn't."

"I don't want to be here anymore."

"We will leave tonight."

"Tom?"

"Yes?"

"I said once that someday I wouldn't just want you, but that I would need you. I was telling the truth. Please don't disappoint me because you are the only one I have now."

He turned her in her arms and kissed her lips hard. "You will never be free of me."

"I don't want to be."

She pushed his robes from his shoulders and he began to rip at the delicate lace that covered her body. When they fell onto the bed he lifted and stared down at her.

"Eviena?"

"Yes?"

"Marry me?"

**Sorry, I hit a bit of a snag with writer's block and other projects and life and stuff. Being a young adult is hard. I wish being a Sailor Scout was a career option. Anyways, we are going to get super heavy into fairy stuff and the queen is going to make some big splashes in Eviena and Tom's life. **

**Next time: The answer to a question. A death. And a new set of eyes.**


	23. The Gift of Truths

Eviena turned on her side and was not surprised when she found the other half untouched and cold. It had been like this for a week and tomorrow was Christmas. But Eviena didn't know what to do to make it right.

At the present, they were staying at a cozy cottage at the edge of a weary Irish sea. It had been her father's family for years but her uncle had deemed it below them. She however thought it was the most beautiful home she had every rested her head in. It was has the outside was white washed stone with emerald vines and red blossoms stretching up to the hatched roof. The inside was warm, with wicker furniture and paisley printed drapes. She could easily see this as her new home, but at the moment she only saw it as a place of discord.

Wrapping a shawl around her shoulders, she quietly padded down the hall and into her father's old study. Before they had left the manor, Tom decided that he would take the majority of the library with him. Stacks of books teetered close to the ceiling and there was Tom, in the middle of it all. Large tomes opened around him and he was scratching notes down on parchment.

"Go to bed." He hissed, not even sparing her a glance.

"No." she sighed.

Eviena bent down behind him and rested her cheek against his back. Sometimes it was reassuring to know that he still retained a heart. "We cannot go on like this. Not when we face the trows tomorrow."

She knew she had hurt his pride when she rejected his proposal of marriage, but she did not think he would shut her out so completely.

"I am ready to risk my life for you, to find some stupid door to fairyland and do something that you have yet to tell me. Yet, you will not grant me this request." He growled.

"Marriage is a unity formed out of love, and I do love you Tom. I know that I want you and only you. But for you, marriage is a leash. For you to tug whenever you feel I am pulling too far away. And I can't allow that."

He huffed. "Do you think me so heartless?"

"No, I think you are you. And you have to trust me when I say that I don't want anyone but you."

"And the fairies? You would pick me over them?"

She maneuvered her body so that she was sitting in her lap. She wanted him to see the look on her eye. "I did choose you. That kelpie at Hogwarts was going to give me the thing I wanted most. No trows, no banshees." She looked down at her hair and found his fingers playing with a tendril of her hair. "But I couldn't allow him to do that. I needed you before I even knew it."

"I sleep, so much better when you are here and when the nightmares begin you appear out of nowhere and save me."

His nose trailed the length of her neck and she sighed. "You want marriage? Tell me you love me?"

He stopped abruptly and no air left his lungs. "I don't know if I can."

Eviena smiled and kissed his temple. "When you are ready to love me completely; I will give you marriage. But you must know Tom, you already have me."

With that thought express, he hungrily captured her lips and buried his fingers into her hair. She placed a leg on each side of his lap and grasped the material of his night shirt, afraid to let go. If this was the only way he could say that he loved her, then she would take it and not complain. Tom had gone through so much, and he had grown up just as alone as she was. They were two pieces of flint that sparked bright when brought together. And like all sparks, they were doomed to grow dim one day and fade into darkness once more. She knew in heart that this was to happen between them, but for the moment they had the light and no one would rob them of it.

She made for the strings of his pants and he untied the top of her gown, pushing it away from her shoulders. She moaned softly as he lowered her onto his length and began to thrust while his fingers exerted a bruising pressure around her hips.

His lips traveled up her bosom and to her lips. She knew they would be swollen in the morning and she didn't care. She moaned into his mouth and it spurned him onwards.

"Tom." She gasped as she found her release and with one more thrust he found his.

The clock chimed 12 and Tom chuckled into her breast. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas." She smiled. "Can we go to bed now?"

"Only if we exchange our gifts."

Eviena sighed and tried to get up but he refused her the action. "I thought you were joking."

"I wasn't." he asserted.

"You are really willing to tell me the truth?" Couldn't he just be happy with the jumpers she had gift wrapped for him.

"Yes."

He gently lifted her off of him and she winced at the loss of contact. "Are we ready for the truth?"

"Not the whole truth, more of a truth of our choice."

Eviena crossed her arms. "Fine, you first."

He stood up and paced. "My mother was in love with a filthy muggle that came from money. She drugged him with a love potion and I was conceived. But it wasn't enough for her, she wanted the real thing." He took a long pause and stared down at her. "He rejected her, rejected me. She died and I grew up in the orphanage."

She stared down at her fingers and felt tears well up. "Those conceived under the duress of a love potion can never love another."

He knelt down in front of her. his bent figure towering over hers and waited for her to reply. There was so much in his eyes. He looked so anxious and enraged and she was not sure what to say next to eradicate such emotions.

Her light touch traced the peak of his high cheek bone and the lightest shutter rippled through his body. "I don't believe there is anything you couldn't do if you set your mind to it Tom. Someday you will love me, just make sure it isn't too late."

A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. "I will never be parted from you." Once again, it sounded more like a threat than a promise, but she did not argue.

"Now it's your turn."

Eviena let out a long breath and thought of a truth to give him. If she tried to outright lie, then he may think she's up to something. But he knew almost everything about her. Almost.

"You know how you said I am both Seelie and Unseelie, Light and Dark."

"Yes."

She began to play with her hair and pace. "Now mind you, I don't plan on taking this position but I guess if you are willing to stand by my side and risk your life for me, then I must tell you what you are risking it for. And why Vahn protects me."

"Protects you?" Tom hissed. "Where has this great protector been while you were fending off those vial beasts that scarred you? And before you start up, so what if he saved you. He could have prevented it."

"Tom, he has been protecting me, from them. On the other side, in their world. He has kept her at bay." She countered with a sigh.

"Who is this _her_ you speak of?"

"Queen of the Unseelie."

"Queen? Why would a queen want to hurt you?"

"Because, because…" she swallowed back the bile rising in her throat and braced herself for his reaction. "She is no real queen, I am. I am not fighting to be acknowledged, I am fighting to rule."

The glass lanterns shatter around her and she flinches away from the onslaught of shards. "You are a queen?" his voice held no emotion, no inflection.

She knew he would be upset, but she had not expected the room to chill so much and to feel the need run away from him. Why would he be so upset, it's not like she had stolen something from him. It's not like she wanted to be queen. But for Tom, someone who yearned for power and control over everything in his life, this omission of royal roots probably felt like a slap to the face.

"Well, he took that as well as could be expected." Ghillie Dhu limped from the doorway and into the moonlight that streamed through the broken window pane.

I ignored the little gremlin that shot daggers in my direction and focused on her.

She was a queen, and I was an orphan. She was a queen, and I was a halfblood. She was an immortal queen of a court, and I was a mortal who would die.

This would not do.

The mistakes are my own, sorry in advance!


	24. Unwanted News

Tom sat at the other side of the sofa and although he had never seen Ghillie Dhu, or at least not to her knowledge, he looked completely lost within his own thoughts.

Eviena stared down at the creature who had disappeared for only a moment before returning with a jar of honey he found. He sat cross legged in front of her as he devoured the amber contents and glared in Tom's direction.

"Ghillie, why are you here?"

He looked up from the jar and began to suck the honey from his small fingers. "The master sent me away. Said I have to live with you and the serpent." He said with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Why?" she asked, ignoring Tom's raised brow.

"She knows." He hissed, before jumping onto his tiny feet and bounding towards her. A strangled sob caught in his throat. "I know it don't seem like it, but I really do like the master. Even when he makes me take a bath. But now she has him. You must stay away."

Eviena dropped to her knees and held the creature and arm's length away. "How does she know? Why didn't you tell me?" she tried to keep the quiver out of her voice, but she never expected this. And the idea of Vahn being tortured or killed, made the very act of breathing difficult.

"Because Ghillie wasn't s'posed to tell. He told me to run and find you. To tell you to stay away." he wiped stray tears away with his sticky fingers and Eviena fell back on her haunches. "What do we do now? No army of yours will march without him. They haven't even seen what you can do."

"Will she come for me?"

"The banshees told her everything before she killed two of them. She knows your magic. But she thinks you no real threat without the master to lead the way. But yeah, she probably will try to kill you." He added with a sniff.

Eviena bit into her lip and began to play with her hair. She didn't expect this. Before she had time; time to find the door, time to figure out how she would reclaim the throne without being forced to be anyone's queen.

The simple wish to belong to the world of the fey, was now a distant memory. Now she would be forced to fight, and she wasn't sure if she'd win.

Two strong arms pulled her to her feet and spun her around. "Eviena, you need to breathe."

She looked up and took in a large gulp of air. "Tom, you need to leave."

"What?" he hissed.

"She's coming for me, and if she hurts you….I can't let them hurt you again. You need to go."

Ghullie Dhu puffed up his chest and started to push at Tom's legs. "You don't go touching my queen like that."

"What queen? She's acting like a child. She's acting like a coward." He pushed Ghillie Dhu back. "If you want this, then you need to fight. You will not accept this. I will not let them hurt you and I will not run."

His cool fingers brushed the tears from her cheeks. "You are not weak, so stop behaving as such."

Tom took a step away and retrieved his wand from his pajama trousers. "I'm going to ward the house. When I get back I am going to wring him dry of every piece of information he has."

With that threat, he marched away and left the two fairies to themselves.

"Well, no wonder you bring him to your bed. If he was fey, he'd most definitely be Unseelie." Ghillie huffed.

"He's right though, I don't know what came over me."

"Reality. No one gives fate a second look until it starts banging on their door and they have no choice but to answer."

"I'm sorry."

"A queen owes no ne an apology."

"I am no queen."

"That way of thinking will get you into trouble."

He was right. She had to gather her wits, there was no time for such displays of weakness. Even if she wanted to give in to them. She knew Tom would not let her. For that she was grateful. She was grateful for him. But this was not his fight. This was not his world. It was hers. She was queen. Whether she liked the title or not, it belonged to her.

Eviena sat on the edge of the sofa with her hands clasped in front of her. "Are there still fey who will stand by me, Vahn wouldn't raise and army if the queen herself didn't have one."

"Aye, but like I said. Without the master, they will listen to no command."

"They will listen to me. We will save Vahn"

"How?"

Eviena stood and advanced towards the study, where all of Tom's books lay.

"I am not just a fairy, I am a witch." she reminded. "I will no longer shun one side for another."

Ghillie Dhu hopped up onto the desk and watched as she pulled books down from the shelves.

"The dark arts?" Ghillie Dhu smiled.

"After the Banshees, I know this is the only magic that will work." She said while biting her lip. She didn't want to use it. Her body always felt off when she did so. But she had opened a door and now there where consequences. Consequences, that she would have to deal with before anyone else got hurt.

"I knew you had it in you." The tiny fey jumped and clapped his hands with glee.

"I didn't." Tom stood in the shadows across from the door. Even though most of his face was covered she could make out the smirk tugging at his lips.

Eviena ignored him. "Now, will you help us find the trows?"

"You think me so stupid as to forget my own birthplace?" Ghillie scoffed. "A trow never forgets."

"Why didn't you tell us?" It would have helped to have that information earlier.

"Because they don't forget either, and we ain't on speakin terms."

"What did you do?"

"Barricaded the door. Set the willow on fire."

Eviena gasped and Tom chuckled. "Why?"

"Went through a bit of a psychotic phase in my youth." He laughed. His eyes glazed over as he relived the happy memory. "Then I left for the Unseelie court. And it's rule of nature that trows stay unaligned. That's what really did it."

Eviena shook her head. "Well, now that we know how to find the trows it's time to figure out what we do after we find the door."

Tom advanced into the room and settled in by her side. "We kill the queen."

"She has too many that follow her." Ghillie countered.

"Then we find your army."

"They only follow the master. Stupid boy, do you not listen."

Tom glared at Ghillie. "Then we set free the little fairy." His contempt for Vahn was evident. But Eviena didn't think he would relent so easily.

Before an argument could start up, Eviena intervened. "Then it is settled. We free Vahn and then-"

"We fight." Tom finished.

"Yes." She said with a heavy sigh.

It was either her or the queen. And death was not an option. Her hand found Tom's below Ghillie Dhu's line of vision and she gave it a tight squeeze. "It's not too late to run."

"It was too late the moment I decided that you were mine."

Eviena gave him a small smile. "Always."

XX

So here is a quick playlist I did of some of the songs I listen to while writing. Thanks for all the positive comments.

playlist?list=PLC8sim0AEboGhPBIfxnnNdMQh-u7CiaVy


End file.
